Published: 23 Feb 2015
Nobody from Michaelia Cash’s office would front the crowd that descended on Subiaco demanding that Australians should work in Australia’s offshore industry.
The Assistant Minister for Immigration was unsurprisingly absent as approximately 80 MUA Youth and Women rallied outside of her office chanting.
MUA WA Branch Organiser and Youth Committee Chair Danny Cain said he was happy with the turnout and hoped the union could use the momentum to overturn the ‘legislative instrument’ to return certainty to Australia’s offshore industry.
“Michaelia Cash and her cronies in the Abbott Government have gone against the will of the workers and the will of the voting public by using an obscure tactic to undermine the Senate,” Cain said.
“Unemployment is high and constantly climbing. Youth unemployment is even worse. And Cash and co. want to open up the floodgates to foreign workers as a solution.
“Well it’s not on and we won’t give up our jobs without a fight.”
MUA WA Women’s Committee Chair Karen Wheatland said it was a disgrace that the Government would allow companies to exploit low-paid workers on Australian resource projects.
“You know the companies that are pushing this constant undercutting are some of the most profitable in the world, yet they want to squeeze every penny to bring in people who will be working for as little as $2 an hour,” Wheatland said.
MUA Organiser George Gakis said the rally would hopefully be the first of many actions that would unite the union and the community against the Abbott Government.
“The Government, through Michaelia Cash, has sold Australian workers down the river in allowing overseas workers to come in and work our jobs on our resource projects.
“The gas in the offshore belongs to the Australian people and should provide Australian employment.
“The youth are ready are ready to work now; they’re trained and willing. The skills shortage is a myth.”
For all of the photos from the WA Branch Conference and rally click here.
