A current client who is currently sponsoring employees in the restaurant industry has forwarded an article on the Restaurant & Catering (R&C) website. R&C have provide the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) with a written submission for a new template agreement to help the tourism and hospitality sectors attract skilled workers from overseas. The facts:

• R&C has been negotiating for over the last 5 years
• Proposed template agreement aims to establish a common set of requirements
• Government suggested the agreement could cover experience waiters, chefs, bar attendants, hotel managers and other occupations
• Template seeks a balance between upholding standards of the visa system while giving employers easier access to workers whose skills are hard to find in Australia.
• R&C in a recent benchmarking report showed on average that cook, chef, restaurant manager / supervisor and food and beverage attendant were all difficult of very difficult categories
• These areas of need are supported by the Deloitte Access Labour Market study completed as part of the National Long Term Tourism Strategy
• R&C contends that the TSMIT for these roles should be waivered and arrangements made to allow for the determined market rate (and/or the Award rate) to be paid.

With many Australians not willing to fill these positions employers are finding it harder to recruit and retain staff especially when split shifts in the hospitality industry are a major detraction. Many employers find that the only staff they are willing to do the work are foreign workers in Australia on working holiday visas or student visas. With many employers trying to retain their service before their visas expire by sponsoring them tend to find the DIAC visa requirements hard to meet.
If you have any questions regarding the Labour Agreement or any Australian migration matters or visa issues, please contact us today.