Post 'turning blind eye' to 457 workers Until now, Orlando Sirgiovanni was paid $1.36 per parcel he delivered, but says on Monday he was told he would now be paid $1.21 per delivery. Increasing numbers of 457 visa holders are delivering letters and parcels on Melbourne's fringes for Australia Post contractors, according to a union that says they are being used to drive down the postal service's costs. The Communication Workers Union says Australia Post is one of the many large Australian companies deliberately turning a blind eye to contractors employing overseas workers on the controversial visas. "It's just cheap, unregulated labour that does not comply with minimum wages," the union's state secretary Joan Doyle said. Top five occupations and top five countries of origin. The visas are meant to be used solely for skilled overseas workers, who are sponsored by a business to work in Australia temporarily. An Australia Post spokeswoman said the postal agency was not directly hiring employees on 457 visas to work in delivery, and that its agreements with its contractors stipulated they employ workers lawfully. Ms Doyle said there were sponsored 457 visa holders working at postal sorting centres including Essendon and West Melbourne. They were paid as little as $17.50 an hour at a flat rate, instead of a $21 an hour base rate plus penalty payments for shifts starting as early as 4am. The union has recently targeted Epping firm Oz Trade and Services, whose manager Bobby Singh provides Australia Post with agency "posties." Mr Singh is also a director of the St Stephen Institute of Education. A number of workers employed by Mr Singh, contacted on Tuesday, said they were not citizens or residents but would not discuss their employment arrangement. Mr Singh said he did not use 457 visas for these staff, and the union had unfairly targeted him when he ran a successful business that treated its employers well. But Ms Doyle said that the main area where 457 visa workers were concentrated was sub-contracted parcel delivery. Among mail contractors to be hurt by the apparent drive by postal contractors to push down costs is Orlando Sirgiovanni. Until last week, he was paid $1.36 per parcel he delivered, but says on Monday he was told by a contractor who is licensed to Australia Post he would now be paid $1.21 per delivery. She said the postal agency's contractual relationship with contractors "ensure they comply with the law and provide appropriate working terms and conditions for people they employ."