I REFER to the article by Fr Kevin Ryan titled “Racism at work” (Real Life, CL 4/2/07).
The article refers to complaints that people have made recently about overseas workers taking jobs and implies that these objections are based on racism.
I would like to suggest that perhaps this issue is more complex.
I have a deep concern for the rights of the imported workers and their exposure to possible exploitation.
The articles cites an example of the meat processing plant in Charleville bringing in workers from Vietnam.
As reported in a Landline story dated 23/7/06 on ABC TV, 15 Vietnamese meatworkers were sponsored by a meat processing plant on a two-year visa and the concern lies in their being bonded to the employer and the fact that they may owe large sums of money to the people in their own countries who have organised their jobs for them.
This position leaves overseas workers vunerable in terms of being able to negotiate a fair wage and fair working conditions and it also erodes the platform for local meat workers to negotiate the same so that they too can maintain a reasonable standard of living.
Australia does offer a better standard of living than many other countries and I think it is vital that it is maintained through fair wages and conditions in which everyone can then benefit.
Overseas workers are also entitled to work in Australia for a fair wage and for fair conditions, and if this principle is offered by the employer to every worker, no matter where they come from, then Australia will be sharing its hard fought way of life.
JILLIAN BRUNI
Slacks Creek, Qld
