Union wants tighter rules on 457 visas THE 457 visa scheme must be changed to stop mining companies flying in cheaper foreign labour at the expense of Australian jobs, a union says. The Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) says Downer EDI, which runs a coal mine at Boggabri in NSW for Japanese firm Idemitsu, fired 106 local workers while retaining six diesel fitters employed on 457 visas. "A third of the local workforce in this regional community in northern NSW has lost their jobs overnight, yet temporary overseas workers have been retained," CFMEU national secretary Dave Noonan said. There is something seriously wrong with the current system. The visa scheme that was originally designed to fill skills shortages is now being used to bring in cheaper foreign labour, he said. The CFMEU wants a labour market test that would place "the onus on employers to demonstrate no suitably skilled local workers are available," Mr Noonan said. He also argues for a right of appeal for Australian workers who are ejected from jobs. Communities are also opposed to 457 visa workers taking precedence over locals, CFMEU northern district secretary Grahame Kelly says. A Hunter Valley council has received more than 1800 submissions opposing a proposal to fly workers into Singleton. The reaction has been very strong. Singleton isn't a remote area and there's no reason to introduce FIFO (fly in, fly out) to the Hunter Valley," Mr Kelly said in a statement. Local workers here don't want their jobs outsourced to FIFO workers coming from elsewhere in Australia.