Comments on: 10,000 457s a month keeping down inflation — and wages http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/07/23/10000-457s-a-month-keeping-down-inflation-and-wages/ now with extra source Sun, 12 Feb 2012 07:14:43 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Ben Aveling http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/07/23/10000-457s-a-month-keeping-down-inflation-and-wages/#comment-16950 Ben Aveling Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-16950 It's not just jobs at the bottom. For example, 457 workers affect salaries in the IT sector. On the other hand, that keeps some work here that would otherwise go overseas or just not happen at all. And it makes things cheaper for consumers. It's a similar argument to the argument about tariffs or any other form of favouritism. It’s not just jobs at the bottom. For example, 457 workers affect salaries in the IT sector. On the other hand, that keeps some work here that would otherwise go overseas or just not happen at all. And it makes things cheaper for consumers. It’s a similar argument to the argument about tariffs or any other form of favouritism.

]]> By: Sean http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/07/23/10000-457s-a-month-keeping-down-inflation-and-wages/#comment-16951 Sean Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-16951 Who can we write to in Canberra to find out what classes of work are in 'skills shortage' being targeted for these visas? Which Minister and Department -- presumably DIAC? Or is it the ABS? What if their advice is that they can't tell you what the shortage areas are?<br /><br />It has seemed like a pretext to undercut local wages for a very long time. The original 457 visas were intended for high level positions which could not be sourced in Australia, and totalled about 5,000 places originally -- it has since gone up to 80,000 places last year and 110,000 places this year.<br /><br />I find it hard to believe that a countr y of 20 million can have 'skills shortages' in so many places at once -- what is everybody else doing exactly? It seems like an utter nonsense, and I can't understand why the Federal Govt has gone along with the rhetoric -- nothing in it for them directly, surely? Who can we write to in Canberra to find out what classes of work are in ‘skills shortage’ being targeted for these visas? Which Minister and Department — presumably DIAC? Or is it the ABS? What if their advice is that they can’t tell you what the shortage areas are?

It has seemed like a pretext to undercut local wages for a very long time. The original 457 visas were intended for high level positions which could not be sourced in Australia, and totalled about 5,000 places originally — it has since gone up to 80,000 places last year and 110,000 places this year.

I find it hard to believe that a countr y of 20 million can have ‘skills shortages’ in so many places at once — what is everybody else doing exactly? It seems like an utter nonsense, and I can’t understand why the Federal Govt has gone along with the rhetoric — nothing in it for them directly, surely?

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