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2nd LD: Australia's Opposition agrees to terms with gov't over China-Australia FTA

Xinhua, October 21, 2015 Adjust font size:

Australia's Opposition on Wednesday agreed with the government on terms which would allow the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement to go ahead.

Following a meeting between Labor senator Penny Wong and the government's Trade Minister Andrew Robb, Labor's caucus room approved the deal Wednesday morning, which now includes a number of small changes to Australia's Migration Act.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said he was pleased to announce Labor's backing of the FTA now that "legal protections" over Australian workers had been achieved.

"Labor now has achieved what we believe to be satisfactory legal protections which weren't previously proposed," Shorten told the media on Wednesday.

"Now Labor can support the speedy passage of the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement."

Under Labor's requests, the government will require businesses to apply labor market testing to all new work agreements. Previously, the government indicated it would apply mandatory market testing to work worth in excess of 110 million U.S dollars.

The Opposition indicated that this amendment gives Australian workers the first right to secure jobs before they are offered to overseas workers.

Also, workers coming into Australia who require the temporary work visa known as 457 will now be required to be licensed in Australia (within 90 days of arrival) for the specific work they have been brought in for.

Lastly, Labor requested that wages paid to workers gaining entry to Australia because of the trade deal would be regulated and closely pegged to Australian standards so that the undercutting Australian wages would not occur.

Labor's negotiator, Penny Wong, said that all three conditions would be "closely regulated" by the government at Labor's request.

"The package that we have agreed with the government has delivered legal safeguards in those three key areas," Wong told the media.

"The outcomes we have achieved will be legally binding."

"You can say the legal obligation on employers to observe Australian wages and conditions and for overseas workers to be paid the same will be far greater as a result of the safeguards Labor has achieved.

Labor had previously threatened to block the FTA over its concerns that the agreement would negatively affect Australian jobs and workers' rights, but the end of the stalemate paves the way for the necessary changes to be implemented before the end of the year.

Wong said the senate "understands the importance of passage prior to the end of this year," and the government would be introducing the required bills into parliament before the end of Wednesday. Endit