The Northern Territory news Wed 14 Mar 2012
NT news
The Northern Territory news; NewspaperNT
2012-03-14
This publication contains may contain links to external sites. These external sites may no longer be active.
English
Community newspapers -- Northern Territory -- Darwin; Australian newspapers -- Northern Territory -- Darwin
Nationwide News Pty. Limited
Darwin
application/pdf
Copyright. Made available by the publisher under licence.
Nationwide News Pty. Limited
https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2019C00042
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/238758
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/630608
www.ntnews.com.au Wednesday, March 14, 2012. NT NEWS. 21 P U B : NTNE-WS-DA-TE:14-GE:21 CO-LO-R: C-M Y-K 23 Planningand development 24 Mid-week real estate 33 Technologyas a recruitment tool NT no paradise for workers By NIGEL ADLAM If local employers bothered to train apprentices, fewer overseasworkers would be required TRADE unions yesterday denied the Territory was a workers paradise. Unions NT secretary Adam Lampe said many construction industry workers left the NT after finding their wages and conditions were worse than down south. He accused bosses of trying to unashamedly drive pay to the bottom. Employers earlier this month provided the NT News with figures showing construction workers were being paid far above award rates. The award in most trades is only $18.06 an hour. But the figures said painters got up to $30, carpenters, boilermakers, plumbers, roofers and metal fabricators $40, road train drivers $50 and crane drivers $60. But Mr Lampe said the high wages were paid only to workers with an Australian Business Number, which allows them to be em ployed as self-employed subcontractors. ABN workers do not get penalties, holiday pay, sick pay, workers compensation or full superannuation. Mr Lampe produced hourly pay rate figures for employees that were lower but not massively so than those provided by bosses. In one case, the rate was higher. For instance, Mr Lampe said plumbers earned $30-35, $5 more than claimed by employers. But the rate for painters up to $35 an hour was $5 higher than the figure quoted by bosses. Mr Lampe said the majority of construction workers in the Northern Territory were taken on as sham subcontractors. He said 457 visa workers were now paid proper market rates, rather than award rates, following pressure by unions. But Mr Lampe said some overseas workers were still being exploited. If local employers both ered to train apprentices, fewer overseas workers would be required, he said. Wildman Wilderness Lodge at Mary River won a bronze in the national tourism awards Picture: BRAD FLEET Adventure lodge takes tourist award ONE of the Territorys more unusual tourism ventures has won a national trophy. The Wildman Wilderness Lodge, beside the Mary River, picked up a bronze in the awards. The lodge was in the Wrotham Park tourism complex in Queensland, but the buildings were dismantled and taken by 18 triple road trains the 2800km to Darwin. The job took 28 days. Resort infrastructure, including guest cabins, staff quarters, water and sewerage systems, verandas and awnings, were saved. All then was trucked to the banks of a billabong 120km south-east by road from Darwin and reassembled. The new resort is owned by Grant Hunt, who runs the Gold Coastbased boutique Anthology chain of ventures. Yellow Water Cruises was another winner, taking away a silver medal at the tourism awards. The cruises are operated by Gagudju Lodge in Kakadu National Park. MARKET SNAPSHOT CURRENCY WhatyourAussieDollarwas worthyesterday: BUY SELL USdollar 1.0847 1.0093 Canadian 1.0821 0.9786 UKSterling 0.6958 0.6384 Euro 0.8332 0.7570 NZDollar 1.3253 1.2193 HKDollar 8.4805 7.7345 Singapore 1.3871 1.2398 Yen 92.20 81.54 PNGKina 2.5158 1.7812 SARand 8.3315 7.3000 IndonRph Onapp 8528.04 SwissFr 1.0234 0.9139 Fijian 1.9426 1.7251 Philippine Onapp 39.85 Malaysian Onapp 2.8220 ThaiBaht 33.61 28.20 Ratesare for travellerschequesonly.Suppliedbythe CommonwealthBankasacommunityservice.Rates aresubject tochange. INTERESTRATES 30-Daybankbills 4.34% 60-Daybankbills 4.42% 90-Daybankbills 4.51% 180-Daybankbills 4.54% Unofficial cashrates: (11am) 4.25% INDICES LAST CHG AllOrds 4336.50 +48.30 S&P/ASX200 4247.60 +50.90 S&P/ASXSmallOrds 2490.10 +30.00 DowJones 12959.71 +37.69 Nasdaq 2983.66 -4.68 HangSeng 21134.2 +48.2 EuroTop100 2236.21 -4.72 Nikkei 9889.86 -39.88 FTSE-100 5892.75 +5.26 RESOURCES $US last CHG Gold 1699.79 -8.24 Silver 33.59/oz -0.56 Oil 106.88 +0.54 Copper 8449.0/t -53.00 Zinc 2076.25/t +22.00 Lead 2109.25/t +16.00 Aluminium 2185.25/t -12.25 Uranium $51.75/t -0.25 ONTHEMONEY DOUGCAMERON Senator I understand trustsassist business tomanage themselves. Butnowwesee thesesupertrustsbeingestablished to, inmy view, shieldbusinessesand super-high-wealth individuals frommakingaproper contribution to thecountry. STOCKTOWATCH GUNNSLTD Shares inwoodchipperGunnsLtd havebeensuspendedfrom tradingontheAustralian SecuritiesExchange (ASX), at the companys requestwhile it negotiatesacapital raising. Last tradedat16c.