AUSTRALIA’S resource industry employer group AREEA welcomes the government tonight fixing potential offshore oil and gas visa chaos created by Labor, the Greens and Palmer United in the Senate last evening.
Acting on misleading claims from the Maritime Union of Australia Labor, Green and Palmer United Senators invalidated the employment rights of international employees working across Australia’s offshore resource sector.
This risked a $200 billion dollar industry, and employment of more than 70,000 people of which more than 97% are Australians.
“The Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, Senator Michaelia Cash, has found a sensible fix to the uncertainty and potential chaos created by Opposition senators last night,” says Scott Barklamb, AREEA executive director.
“She has issued a Legislative Instrument that returns the regulation of international employment in Australia’s offshore resources sector to the way it operated under the previous Labor Government, the way it always operated in Australia, and the way it operates globally.
“This is a straightforward, job-supporting solution to a highly complex and damaging problem.
“AREEA has been fielding calls all day from employers concerned for their employees and demanding clarity. As of this evening we can give them a clear picture of what is going on, and reassure both employers and employees throughout the industry.”
The small number of employees targeted by the MUA’s irresponsible campaign are highly paid, and employed in full accordance with applicable laws and obligations.
“International pipelay and other maritime construction specialists working in international waters have contributed to the growth of our resources industry and our nation for more than two decades, just as they do in competing countries,” Mr Barklamb says.
“It is entirely sensible and appropriate we return to the arrangements which were in place up until Labor and the Greens started to do the MUA’s bidding to make a calculated mess in this area.”
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