Summer Issue 2012 - cfmeu

I N T E R N AT I O N A L N E W S
with Vinnie Molina
In the hands of the multinationals
Since the 1st January 1994, when
the first Free Trade agreement was
signed between the US, Canada
and Mexico, transnational
corporations have sought maximum
profits. Back then many of these
multinational companies closed
their plants at home and shifted
across the border to Mexico where
labour laws were weaker,
environmental laws did not exist and
labour was cheaper. Estimates have
been given that US jobs lost to
NAFTA range from 700,000 to nine
million.
These same corporations,
particularly in the resource sector,
moved into several other countries
in Latin American and the Asia
Pacific. More recently they have set
up economic Free Zones in
countries like India and other
developing countries where the
main feature is no union rights and
lower standards of wages and
conditions.
In Australia we see how these
corporations have drafted labour
laws that cross several countries
and continents. They realise they no
longer need to move the plant and
factories because it was possible to
move workers across borders.
Again, the main feature of these
labour laws in Australia and
elsewhere, is the violation of trade
union rights and lowering of wages
and conditions.
Migration laws have been
introduced to allow free mobility of
labour to compete with local
workers. Here at home we have
seen the proliferation of temporary
workers on s456 & s457 visas.
These workers arrived in Australia
with false promises of a bright future
but in reality are used as modern
slaves with little or no rights.
These workers, often from non
English speaking backgrounds,
work on lower rates and many of
them would suffer deportation if
they speak out or join trade unions.
During downturns in the economy
these workers lose their jobs and
are sent home, often without
entitlements. In a few cases
companies sacked local workers
ahead of visa and temporary
workers. Feedback suggests they
remained and in many cases
replaced local workers.
At the peak of the mining boom,
multinationals and politicians used
the media to create a fictitious
shortage of skilled labour.
The government responded by
introducing the Enterprise Migration
Agreement. EMAs which list WA as
a regional economic zone and
allows for the importation of some
2000 workers for what can be
considered a pilot for this model, the
Roy Hill Project. In other areas such
as the Mid West in WA, complaints
have been received that local
workers are being made redundant
and replaced by cheap labour from
overseas.
The objective of the multinational
corporations is to divide the working
class by creating unemployment
and fictitious shortages of skilled
labour to justify the mobility of
workers, often from poor countries -
to pit worker against worker and
break solidarity.
This sees workers from Bangladesh
travelling to India and Dubai;
Filipinos all over the world; Chinese
workers into Singapore, Australia
and Europe; Irish and Greek workers
to Australia, Canada, the US and
other parts of Europe.
Many of these workers travel abroad
and are engaged by people
smugglers, so it becomes a
lucrative business in itself. Our
experience is that only a minority of
these workers joins trade unions to
represent their industrial interests.
The others are treated poorly and
are disposable.
A new trade agreement (TPPA) is
currently being negotiated between
the US, Australia, Brunei, Chile,
Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru,
Singapore, and Vietnam.
US corporations are pushing for
unrestricted access to Australian
government contracts and oppose
purchasing policies that protect
local jobs and workers rights.
US corporations have also made
public submissions opposing
commitments to workers rights
being in the agreement. The ALP is
currently pushing for labour rights
agreed by the UN International
Labour Organisation to be included.
The next TPPA negotiations happen
in Auckland, 3rd to 12 December,
with NZ workers planning a national
day of action on the 8th.
Construction Worker – Summer 2012 Page 59
CFMEU