World's richest woman calls for Australian workers to be paid $2 a day to compete with companies hiring cheap African staff
- Mining boss Gina Rinehart says Australian labour is becoming too costly
- Comments received criticism by PM Julia Gillard who insists cheap labour is 'not the Australian way'
The richest woman in the world warned her fellow countrymen they are becoming too expensive to employ.
Mining tycoon Gina Rinehart said it is becoming too costly for multinational companies who could hire workers for two dollars a day in Africa.
The 58-year-old said in a video address yesterday that businesses are forced to look to other nations as the price for Australian labour is too high, something which was immediately criticised by Prime Minister Julia Gillard.
Speaking from the hart: Gina Rinehart served up
some harsh critique of the Australian government in her ten-minute long
video address to the Sydney Mining Club
In her ten-minute long video for the Sydney Mining Club, Gina Rinehart said Australia must become more competitive.Ms Rinehart, head of resources giant Hancock Prospecting, blamed the government's mining and carbon taxes, red tape and high wages for the economy's 'sluggish' performance.
‘The evidence is unarguable, Australia is indeed becoming too expensive and too uncompetitive to do export-oriented business,’ she said.
‘Furthermore, Africans want to work, and its workers are willing to work for less than $2 per day. Such statistics make me worry for this country's future.’
Too expensive: Ms Rinehart said she was
concerned about Australian jobs when African workers were available at a
much cheaper cost
Richest in the world: Gina pictured in 1982
with her father Lang Hancock whose empire she inherited, making her the
richest woman in the world
Gina Rinehart is not averse to
controversial statements. As recently as last week, she hit the
headlines when she told Australians to ‘spend less time drinking or
smoking and socialising, and more time working’.
Retort: Australia's Prime Minister Julia Gillard hit back at Ms Rinehart's comments
‘It's not the Australian way to toss people $2, to toss them a gold coin, and then ask them to work for a day.
‘We support proper Australian wages and decent working conditions.’
Ms Rinehart also attacked the Australian government, accusing them of not being competitive enough on the international markets, and added: ‘If we competed at the Olympic Games as sluggishly as we compete economically there would be an outcry.’
Her outburst came a day after iron ore giant Fortescue announced it would defer planned developments.
Last month BHP Billiton shelved its multi-billion dollar expansion of the Olympic Dam copper and uranium mine.
Australian mining projects have faced headwinds from depressed conditions in Europe and the United States, softening growth in China and increased competition from other producers as well as falling commodity prices.
The price of iron ore, a crucial ingredient in steelmaking, has fallen dramatically in the past two months as the Chinese economy slows, while the price of coal, another major Australian export, has also dropped sharply.
Prime Minister Gillard insisted that Australia would continue to be competitive in mining.
'We're going to compete on our great mineral deposits, our application of technology and high skills to the task. We mine differently than in other countries,' she said.
5 comments:
WHO GIVES A FUCK ? WHITE MAN WAS ATTACKED ON SATURDAY BY MUSLIMS AND REDS AND KETTLED BY POLICE FOR 6 HOURS ,AND YOU DON'T MENTION IT ,BUT TALK ABOUT THIS SHIT .
Well if your stupid enough to work for £1 a day, that makes you a what ?
And it's these people who are flooding white countries with the people you are so angry about.
But that is above your intelligence isn't it?
I only worry about people "flooding in this white country" not others that's there problem ,We need to worry about are own ,and what do you mean "with the people your so angry about "? You make no sense, also you only put a question mark (?) When you ask a question ,but you say "but that is above your intelligence isn't it " ? ,no question mark needed when your stating a point, YOU THICK IRISH CUNT
The bobbies are just trying to keep order, in a system that is failing
Be under no illusion in the village of Kurukshetra Maya was put to death by her father Dharma in accordance with lineage law, which has precedence over state law
I live in Australia but most of my relatives lives in other countries so i wanted to know how to make cheap international calls from London to reduce my call rates.
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