Australian Aco to hire Indian workers

8220;If we go into this project with fear of unions and industrial problems then I shouldn8217;t be starting this project,8221; Farley told the daily recently.

8220;We want to run a safe,fair and equitable plant that offers long-term employment opportunities for people and therefore we need a productive workforce and if we go into this project with that philosophy we will be there for a long time.

8220;The company has confirmed it acquired a 600 hectare property for AUD 13.27 million and would release a market tender to build the facility within 60 days.

Farley said India would be the main country where it would seek the skilled meat-manufacturing labour.

8220;India will be key,but of course we have a relationship with IFFCO which kills about 3.5 million buffalo a year 8211; so we have a bit of access to the skills there,8221; he said.

IFFCO is a major Malaysian shareholder in AAco.

Farley said he wanted to have a 8220;good domestic content8221; but 8220;we will also be looking to bring in people from offshore8221;.

He said the company was putting together several applications to the government for the visas.

A spokesman for Minister for Immigration and Citizenship Chris Bowen said the applications would be assessed in the usual manner.

8220;Each application will be assessed on its merits by a case-by-case basis against the 457 criteria,8221; he said.