A MAJOR Middle Eastern oil and gas engineering contractor has arrived in Australia, promising to dip into its pool of 65,000 skilled workers to feed the resources boom if it cannot find Australians to do the job.
The Saudi-registered, Indian-owned NSH Corporation recruited former Australian cricket captain Steve Waugh as a brand ambassador yesterday to help launch its Australian arm, as the debate over foreign workers heats up again.
Unions on Wednesday picketed mining billionaire Gina Rinehart's Perth offices in protest over her use of Enterprise Migration Agreements to bring in overseas labour. Yesterday, they said they were concerned NSH would take opportunities away from local firms.
The company's Australian branch -- NaSAH Australia -- will focus on the liquefied natural gas sector in Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory.
Chief executive Peter Linford said he expected opposition to the firm's arrival, but they would do everything possible to hire Australian workers. He said on average it was $40,000 more expensive to recruit someone from overseas on the same salary and conditions.
The Australian
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