CFMEU slams federal government’s Pacific worker visa scheme

Labor’s expansion of a Pacific worker visa scheme has been branded a “frighteningly dumb” idea by the CFMEU, made only in the name of diplomacy instead of worker safety.

Labor’s expansion of a Pacific worker visa scheme has been branded a “frighteningly dumb” idea by the CFMEU, made only in the name of diplomacy instead of worker safety.

The federal government has allocated $370.8 million over four years to grow the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) visa scheme, which the powerful construction union is concerned will include allowing workers into their industry who aren’t sufficiently qualified.

Construction Forestry Mining Energy Union (CFMEU) national secretary Zach Smith told News Corp workers would be injured or killed and it would put their workmates at risk.

“Only a bunch of diplomats who’ve never set foot on a construction site could dream up an idea this stupid,” he said.

“You can’t just fly in a bunch of unqualified people, train them for less than half a year, and then call them carpenters.”

Zach Smith isn’t happy the government are pushing forward with the plans. Aaron Francis / The Australian

Mr Smith said Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong should have told the “fools” at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) to file the idea “in the shredder”.

“The fact that she apparently hasn’t is a massive concern,” he said.

“The PALM scheme has been a nightmare for thousands of Pacific Island fruit pickers who have been routinely abused, stolen from, and exploited on Australian farms.

“We don’t need that kind of rubbish in construction.”

Mr Smith said where there were “genuine skills shortages” the CFMEU supported migration as “part of the solution”.

“But workers coming from overseas must have all the same rights and protections as workers who were born here,” he said.

A spokeswoman for International Development and the Pacific Minister Pat Conroy said the government had “no plan” to allow “unqualified workers to work on construction sites”, including under the PALM scheme.

CFMEU think Penny Wong should have thrown the idea in the shredder. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

“All PALM scheme workers have the same workplace pay and conditions, and meet the same skills requirements, as Australian workers,” she said.

The spokeswoman said the a Detailed Industry Assessment (DIA) document prepared by DFAT in relation to the potential expansion of PALM to construction was from March 2022 under the Coalition government.

“These preliminary assessments were prepared to assess sectoral workforce needs in response to industry interest,” she said.

The expansion of the PALM visa includes funding to strengthen oversight and compliance to protect the migrant workers, while specific skill sectors the scheme could be applied to are yet to be determined.

In a letter sent to Ms Wong earlier this month, the CFMEU construction division advised it was “totally opposed” to expanding the Pacific visa scheme to the building sector, and was against a pilot project being contemplated by the Northern Territory government.

The CFMEU accused DFAT official of using “flawed analysis” of the industry in its DIA document assessing the possibility of expanding the PALM visa into construction.

Originally published as CFMEU slams federal government’s Pacific worker visa scheme