Visa exemptions set to increase workers vulnerability

The Australian government is pushing ahead with a plan to exempt workers on vessels in the offshore oil and gas industries from visa requirements. Some of the biggest companies in the world operate off the coast of Australia extracting oil and gas. The visa exemption would allow these companies to import workers from all around the world with very few restrictions on employment conditions. This would mean that workers would be very vulnerable, allowing companies to set the agenda in terms of wages, hours of work and health and safety conditions.

The Australian government is pushing ahead with a plan to exempt workers on vessels in the offshore oil and gas industries from visa requirements. Some of the biggest companies in the world operate off the coast of Australia extracting oil and gas. The visa exemption would allow these companies to import workers from all around the world with very few restrictions on employment conditions. This would mean that workers would be very vulnerable, allowing companies to set the agenda in terms of wages, hours of work and health and safety conditions.