Migration Help
17th April 2010, 12:41 AM
April 16th, 2010
FOUR overseas guest workers have been told to get out of Australia after being made redundant by a failed steel company.
The federal Immigration Department originally ordered eight welders to go back to the Philippines.
But four of them have since found work with another Darwin firm.
The eight foreigners are owed a total of $122,000 in wages and redundancy following the collapse of long-standing company Transcon last month.
Thirty workers were put out of work.
The Australians - some of whom worked for Transcon for more than 20 years - will be paid their entitlements from a federal kitty known as the General Employee Entitlements and Redundancy Scheme.
But those working on temporary 457 visas are excluded.
Teddy Dalangin, 52, worked for Transcon for more than a year and is owed $10,840 plus his airfare home.
His accommodation was tied to his work and he has had to move in with friends.
Mr Dalangin said he sent nearly all his money home to provide for his wife and five children.
"What I am owed is a big amount of money where I come from," he said. "That money was for my family."
Mr Dalangin hopes to find work with another Darwin company.
But Australian Miscellaneous Workers' Union organiser Bryan Wilkins said migration agents were demanding $5000 to transfer the papers from one firm to another.
He said the federal scheme supporting workers made redundant should be extended to 457 visa holders.
The Immigration Department has given the Filipinos 28 days to leave the country.
It said yesterday that 457 visa holders were required to return home if they stopped working for their sponsor employer or the company went out of business.
SOURCE (http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2010/04/16/140201_nt-business.html)
MH
FOUR overseas guest workers have been told to get out of Australia after being made redundant by a failed steel company.
The federal Immigration Department originally ordered eight welders to go back to the Philippines.
But four of them have since found work with another Darwin firm.
The eight foreigners are owed a total of $122,000 in wages and redundancy following the collapse of long-standing company Transcon last month.
Thirty workers were put out of work.
The Australians - some of whom worked for Transcon for more than 20 years - will be paid their entitlements from a federal kitty known as the General Employee Entitlements and Redundancy Scheme.
But those working on temporary 457 visas are excluded.
Teddy Dalangin, 52, worked for Transcon for more than a year and is owed $10,840 plus his airfare home.
His accommodation was tied to his work and he has had to move in with friends.
Mr Dalangin said he sent nearly all his money home to provide for his wife and five children.
"What I am owed is a big amount of money where I come from," he said. "That money was for my family."
Mr Dalangin hopes to find work with another Darwin company.
But Australian Miscellaneous Workers' Union organiser Bryan Wilkins said migration agents were demanding $5000 to transfer the papers from one firm to another.
He said the federal scheme supporting workers made redundant should be extended to 457 visa holders.
The Immigration Department has given the Filipinos 28 days to leave the country.
It said yesterday that 457 visa holders were required to return home if they stopped working for their sponsor employer or the company went out of business.
SOURCE (http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2010/04/16/140201_nt-business.html)
MH