Unions are urging the federal government against "selling out" Australian jobs and have called for strong protections for workers as part of a new free trade agreement with China.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
China's deal offered to farmers and professionals is promising billions of dollars in new markets for Australian exports. The Abbott government has given ground on labour, agreeing to a new case-by-case mechanism for Chinese investors to apply to bring in workers at Australian wage rates in areas of skills shortages.
Unions NSW secretary Mark Lennon said he was concerned about the impact of the free trade agreement with China on manufacturing in NSW following major job losses in western Sydney and the Hunter.
"Any weakening of anti-dumping measures that could result in the market being flooded by cheap imports is a concern," he said.
"We are concerned about any proposals that would allow Chinese companies to bring in their own workforce at the expense of jobs in NSW."
Unions from the manufacturing, resources, construction, services and transport industries have joined forces and have written to major parties and crossbenchers to demand strong protections for Australian workers.
Signatories to the letter include the Australian Council of Trade Unions, Australian Manufacturing Workers Union, Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union, National Union of Workers, Australian Workers Union, Textile Clothing and Footwear Union of Australia, United Voice, Transport Workers Union and the Rail Tram and Bus Union.
Australian Council of Trade Unions president Ged Kearney said unions would support a fair, transparent and mutually beneficial trading scheme, but it must not be at the expense of Australian jobs.
She said it appeared provisions in the proposed free trade deal could result in "a fatal blow to the manufacturing industry, wreak havoc on our labour market and threaten Australia's sovereignty".
Unions have said a free trade agreement with China must not restrict Australia's ability to regulate the movement of workers, including quotas.
The unions said the deal should include provisions to stop the exploitation of Australian workers.
Ms Kearney said the recent Korea Free Trade Agreement has had a disastrous impact on jobs. It allows employers to nominate Korean workers for visas without having to advertise jobs locally.
"Similar provisions on labour mobility will allow Chinese contractors on Australian projects to bring in their own workforce. This removes any benefit of foreign investment since the profits and the jobs for large mining and infrastructure projects will go back to China," she said.
"Our national laws and regulations containing provisions on social security, collective bargaining, working time, employment conditions, public health, information and consultation rights and other protections should not be considered as non-tariff barriers to trade."
Australian Manufacturing Workers Union National Secretary Paul Bastian said any removal or weakening of anti-dumping, countervailing and safeguard measures would flood Australian markets with cheap imports.
"This will put even more pressure on our manufacturing industry already facing an uneven trading environment in which China heavily subsidises many of its industries through currency manipulation, exploitative working conditions and behind the border trade barriers," Mr Bastian said.
