By JOHN VAN KLAVEREN
Unions have launched an advertising campaign and protest against Geelong’s oil refinery operator for using foreign workers.
A group of unemployed people plan to protest against the official start of work on Viva’s new $50 million crude oil tank on Friday 25 February.
Geelong Trades Hall has launched the campaign with a full-page advertisement in Friday’s Indy, accusing Viva of “putting local jobs last”.
Trades Hall claims Viva’s use of 457-visa workers locks unemployed locals out of local jobs.
Viva plans to spend $350 million on refinery upgrades including the new tank and $85 million on maintenance.
Geelong Trades Hall secretary Tim Gooden said Viva and parent company Vitol Group were excluding local workers and suppliers from the expansion of the refinery.
Viva had engaged a New South Wales labour hire firm, New World Engineering Construction (NWEC), with a history of using temporary visa workers, he said.
“Viva has given the green light to using imported steel in the plant and Viva’s Geelong-based human resources manager had said that 457 visa workers would be used,” Mr Gooden said.
“Viva’s Geelong refinery must put local workers first and put rip-off temporary work visas last.
“Part of Viva’s plan is that it wants to expand its temporary visa workforce and lower its wage costs and by-pass local Geelong workers.
“The real targets are local Geelong families looking for work. Every single job that is given to a 457 visa means another local family misses out.
“Over 4000 manufacturing workers have lost jobs over the last 10 years in Geelong with 3000 more manufacturing job losses coming.
“The real victims of the use of 457 visas are the locals who are effectively locked out of jobs and our local young people looking for apprenticeships.”
Refinery manager Thys Heyns said Viva’s $350 million commitment would give the facility a “new lease on life”.
“The crude oil tank is a critical investment for the future sustainability of the refinery and means we continue to provide jobs for around 700 workers as well as indirect jobs.
“We’re spending more than $200 million a year on local goods and services but if we keep doing things the same way the outcome (closure) would be the same.”
Mr Heyns said the tank – the largest in Australia – would enable the refinery to lower its unit cost of production.
Local firm Brockman’s was one of two final bidders for the project.
The winner, NWEC, had partnered with a Korean company for the project, Mr Heyns said.
“NWEC will bring a small number of foreign workers to help on the project and transfer skills to the local workforce.
“This will be about 11 specialist welders and supervisors out of total project workforce of 120, so more than 90 per cent of the workers will be local.”
