Indian, who went on leave to get married, was sacked by his Oz employer
Indian, who went on leave to get married, was sacked by his Oz employer
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An Indian employee at a Moree crane factory in New South Wales was sacked and is at risk of deportation for returning home to get married, prompting union calls for greater scrutiny of regional firms that employ almost solely 457 visa holders.
Mani Saravanan had spent about two years working for Ironbark Fabrication when, in August, he travelled to his home town near Chennai for six days to get engaged. The wedding was set for Dec 6.
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Where do we go? The company e-mailed Saravanan while he was on his honeymoon informing him that he was dismissed |
Leave not granted
Saravanan claims he began asking his employer in September if he could take annual leave in December.
The company refusedu00a0 andu00a0 Saravanan's parents and in-laws did not agree to change the wedding date. After filling out a leave form provided by a flatmate he returned to India to get married.
While he was on his honeymoon, the company emailed to say he had been dismissed for abandoning his job and had lost his entitlements.
The Department of Immigration confirmed yesterday that the Moree firm was under investigation for the salaries it paid its overseas workers.
The Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Unionu00a0 (CFMEU) has taken up Saravanan's cause, because of his claim that Ironbark's entire production staff are employed on 457 visas. Saravanan said that of 28 staff, 25 were from India, two from Vietnam and one from Malta.
A local source said that while all production workers were recent migrants or on temporary visas, about five or six employees had been given permanent residency.
Ironbark Fabrication did not answer questions yesterday. The state secretary of the CFMEU, Andrew Ferguson, has written to Immigration Minister Chris Evans seeking an investigation into why the Moree firm was hiring only 457 visa holders in a region with high unemployment. Under reforms introduced last year, employers of 457 visa holders need to "attest in writing that they have a strong record of employing local labour and non-discriminatory employment practices".
"When foreigners employed on 457 visas are exploited, it undermines confidence in the programme," Senator Evans said.
Saravanan, who is seeking a new job so he can remain in the country, said management had told him he could not take the requested leave at the start of December because "everyone would want to".
| Harmony website |
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Queensland has launched a "harmony" website aimed at telling "a lot of great stories" about the bilateral relations and facilitating people of the two countries to share their experiences. |
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