Brisbane City Council IT contractor HCL accused of exploiting workers

LORD Mayor Graham Quirk says Brisbane City Council will seek an urgent meeting with an IT contractor over claims of international workers being forced to log excessive hours for low pay under the threat of deportation.

Brisbane City Council Lord Mayor Graham Quirk. Picture: AAP/Richard Walker

LORD Mayor Graham Quirk has announced Brisbane City Council will seek an urgent meeting with an IT contractor over claims of international workers being forced to log excessive hours for low pay under the threat of deportation.

The council awarded HCL Australia Services a contract in 2013 and sacked 55 of its own employees, spruiking that it would save ratepayers millions.

Services Union secretary Neil Henderson has alleged IT service provider HCL specifically employed and brought over staff from India on 457 visas.

“We understand that HCL favours the employment of Indian nationals over Australian workers, because Indian nationals will work the longer hours at lower pay levels,” he said.

“From our investigation, these employees have been threatened to be deported and replaced by other Indian workers keen enough to get to Australia to accept the low pay and long hours.”

Queensland Secretary of the Services Union Neil Henderson. Picture: Stewart McLean

A spokeswoman from HCL said it followed “high standards of internal governance”.

“We are in receipt of the union letter and we are in touch with (the) union and employees to understand and resolve the issue as a priority,” she said.

“HCL is committed to a fair and transparent workplace compliant with the laws of the land.”

Mr Henderson further alleged the technology company had workers pull 60 hour weeks, attend training courses in their own time and be on call on their days off without payment.

Workers were short-changed entitlements like additional leave for shift work and annual leave loading and some were owed “500-odd” days of lieu time, Mr Henderson claimed.

Councillor Quirk called on the Services Union to provide evidence to support the allegations they have made but cautioned that HCL was required under its contract to meet all lawful requirements in its operations, which includes all industrial laws.

Brisbane opposition leader Peter Cumming has called on Lord Mayor Graham Quirk to launch an investigation. Picture: Peter Cronin

Mr Henderson insisted the union had evidence to back up all of its claims.

He said where 14 council employees had staffed the after-hours help desk, HCL had five; in the data centre 12 council employees were replaced by four HCL employees; and in desktop support HCL had just three staff replace a 12 council workers.

“Every aspect of HCL’s operations for the BCC (Brisbane City Council) has been based on the exploitation of these employees who have been held over a barrel due their reliance on special visas,” he said.

Opposition leader Peter Cumming called on Lord Mayor Graham Quirk to launch an immediate investigation.

He said that cheap labour was being imported to “do Brisbane residents out of jobs”.