MIGRANTS WATCH

For joining union
3 Filipino Welders Sacked in Australia

Not only in the Philippines! Even in Australia, Filipino workers could get fired for joining unions as experienced by three welders in Queensland.

By CAESAR BEN BASAN BAROÑA
Bulatlat

Three Filipino welders in Queensland, Australia were fired last week for joining a union.

Roy Yabut, one of those fired, said that what happened to them was meant to intimidate other workers. The three welders were among 40 Filipinos recruited by labor hire company Dartbridge Welding in Ipswitch, Brisbane, Queensland more than two months ago.

Before being fired, the workers said that they were underpaid. They were reportedly promised A$40,000 yearly (US$31,007.75, based on an exchange rate of A$1.29 per US dollar) but they only earned A$27,000 yearly (US$20,930.23).

Aside from the low pay, they also had to deal with poor accommodation as eight people shared one house. There were also reports that they had to make their beds out of steel frames from their factory.

The company, which has recently changed ownership, denied any wrongdoing. It reportedly underwent downsizing and sacked the three Filipinos without knowing their union membership.

However¸ Doug Cameron, secretary of the Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union (AMWU), said, "The behavior of the company is absolutely abominable. There are, in our view, legal breaches of the act and there are also moral obligations that companies should have in this country.”

Coming to the aid of the Filipino workers, the AMWU blamed the new industrial relations (IR) laws for the exploitation of workers and undermining conditions of both foreign and Australian workers. Union leaders called for an inquiry into the Federal Government's Skilled Migration Scheme. The Filipino workers entered Australia under “457 visas,” or temporary working visas.

The Labor Party also issued a statement on what happened to the three Filipinos. Federal opposition leader Kim Beazley said that the temporary visas are ripping off visiting workers and are being used to suppress the demand of Australian workers.

"I will not tolerate this exploitation. And I will not tolerate [457 visas] being used to undercut Australian wages and conditions," he said.

Federal Immigration Minister Amanda Vanstone said that the Immigration Department will investigate the claims. "If you want to join a union, you should be able to, and you shouldn't have to pay the price of losing your job for doing so."

The AMWU is helping the affected Filipino workers find new jobs. They will also be involved in government investigations. Bulatlat

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