Australia-ABC News discussion on immigration cut backs.

AUSTRALIA-CUT IN IMMIGRATION ONLY MONTHS AFTER OPENING THE DOORS.

The Federal Government has cut Australia’s intake of permanent skilled migrants. But the union movement is now pushing for it to make further cuts.

Employers can still apply to bring in foreign workers using the 457 visa category for temporary workers.

And the Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union wants the Government to restrict immigration under this scheme as well.

Sara Everingham has our report.

SARA EVERINGHAM: According to the Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union the 457 visa scheme can’t be justified in the construction sector given the downturn in the industry.

Dave Noonan is the National Secretary of the Construction Division of the CFMEU.

DAVE NOONAN: Certainly in relation to construction, there is no good reason for the importation of people on temporary guest visas. These were, the employer said, all about addressing a skill shortage.

In a declining construction market and a serious downturn caused by the global financial crisis, there is no reason for temporary workers to be brought into the construction industry.

SARA EVERINGHAM: He’s concerned that as companies cut jobs it’s local workers will be the first to go.

DAVE NOONAN: Some employers are actually laying off local workers and keeping 457 workers because they have been able to get away with paying them less money. And because those workers are in a very precarious position in terms of their ability to speak up about bad treatment in the workplace.

SARA EVERINGHAM: The labour market and immigration analyst Bob Kinnaird argues changes to the 457 visa scheme are overdue

BOB KINNAIRD: There is about 82,500 457 visa workers in Australia at the moment. At the time that many of those people were granted visas there were not Australians around who could do the work because the economy was booming and so on.

But we are faced with an entirely different situation now and there are surplus Australians available and likely to become available in virtually every occupation that you can think of.

SARA EVERINGHAM: He is pushing for greater restrictions to the scheme.

BOB KINNAIRD: The list of occupations for which 457 visas can be granted should be cut back. At the moment virtually every occupation from trade level up to general manager is eligible for a 457 visa. Now the thing is that at the moment it is just not appropriate to have such a wide range of occupations eligible for 457 visas. They should be cut back to only those critical skills which Australia desperately need.

SARA EVERINGHAM: A large employer of 457 visa workers has been the meat industry.

Kevin Cottrill is the CEO Australian Meat Industry Council.

KEVIN COTTRILL: There is a requirement under the 457 system to demonstrate that you have tried to fill those jobs with Australian labour first. It is a matter of whether or not we can get access to labour and whether that labour can be trained up to a point where we can replace the current 457s.

SARA EVERINGHAM: But you would say that those workers are needed?

KEVIN COTTRILL: Absolutely and there is a requirement to continue to demonstrate that on a regular basis to the Commonwealth.

SARA EVERINGHAM: Peter McDonald the director of the Australian Demographic and Social Research Institute at the Australian National University. He argues restrictions to the 457 visa scheme aren’t necessary.

PETER MCDONALD: Well, I think the 457 is driven by demand from employers and it has been rising, of course, before the recession fairly sharply because of the increased demand. But the word around Canberra is that demand, the number of applications for 457s is falling off quite sharply and so the market in a sense is taking care of 457 and that was the way that the 457 visa was designed.

You know, that it would respond to the market. As demand goes up the numbers go up, as demand went down the numbers would go down and that is exactly what seems to be happening.

SARA EVERINGHAM: And there are reports that workers on 457 visas already here are losing their jobs and finding themselves in difficult circumstances.

One report says that three Filipino workers in Western Australia have found themselves without jobs and thousands of dollars in debt to a labour hire agent.

If they don’t find work within 28 days it is likely they’ll be forced to go home.

ELEANOR HALL: Sara Everingham reporting