United Voice union employed 27 foreigners on 457 visas

Peter Dutton says unions regularly used 457 visas to import IR advisers and public relations specialists.

Immigration and Border Protection Minister Peter Dutton. Picture: Kym Smith

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton is calling out unions opposed to the 457 visa scheme, saying they regularly used the foreign worker program to import industrial relations advisers and public relations specialists.

Statistics from the Department of Immigration and Border Protection show that between July 1, 2010 and February 28, 2017 trade unions were no strangers to using the scheme with hospitality union United Voice sponsoring 27 foreign workers.

This week ACTU secretary Ged Kearney warned the government’s abolition of the 457 visa category would do nothing to protect Australian jobs or counter “chronic exploitation” of the work visa system, saying entry level jobs would still go to foreigners.

But the department figures show a range of unions have used the 457 visa program including the Maritime Union of Australia, the Transport Workers’ Union, the Finance Sector Union and the National Union of Workers. Mr Dutton said they were all beneficiaries of the “record number of 457 visas” issued by Bill Shorten when he was workplace relations minister. “One of the big stories of Labor’s 457 program was the number of foreign workers employed by unions,” Mr Dutton told The Australian. “The unions don’t want you to hear that story, but they loved employing foreign workers over local workers and that’s why they’re screaming now. Under this government the game is up.”

Department statistics show United Voice sourced foreign workers including a copywriter, a database administrator, an intelligence officer, a policy analyst, a training and development professional, two public relations professionals and 20 workplace relations advisers over seven years.

Mr Dutton this week opted to remove “workplace relations adviser” as one of the eligible occupations that can be filled by temporary foreign workers under the government’s visa shake-up.

Contacted by The Australian yesterday, a United Voice spokeswoman said the union had employed a total of 23 holders of 457 visas between July 2010 and November 2016. She also confirmed the union currently employed one 457 visa holder.

“We have always advertised locally first. Skilled staff employed via 457 visas as researchers and lead organisers have provided a valuable transfer of skills from their previous experience,” she said.

The Maritime Union of Australia confirmed it previously employed four holders of 457 visas between July 2010 and February 2017, but said the last one was “a couple of years ago.”

MUA national secretary Paddy Crumlin urged the government to reform maritime crew visas, saying they allowed international seafarers into the domestic industry without police checks.