Would a COVID recovery worker VISA fix staff shortage problems?
The hospitality sector is pushing for the Morrison government to introduce a “COVID recovery worker visa” to assist in the staff shortages that many businesses are currently experiencing.
This push comes as the Accommodation Association disclosed its hotel and resort operators lost $5 billion across Australia in room revenue leading up to February, with Melbourne hotels suffering the most with a $1.4 billion loss.
Hotel consultants AHS Advisory conducted analysis for Accommodation Association which shows the sector is at least four years away from a COVID-19 pandemic recovery.
The biggest barrier to a strong recovery for the hospitality and accommodation industries is labour shortages.
Once the pandemic started, and borders were closing, there was a mass exodus of 200,000 skilled visa holders, foreign students and backpackers.
Wes Lambert, Restaurant and Catering chief executive, has written to Immigration Minister Alex Hawke stating that migration would assist with the staff shortage.
Mr lambert also called for the working holidaymaker visa to be temporarily replaced by a COVID recovery visa.
Mr Lambert wrote in The Australian, “This visa would allow workers who agreed to work in sectors of our economy suffering from critical shortages for a short period of time, provided they pay for visas, travel, a short quarantine stay, initial testing and — most importantly — were already vaccinated prior to coming to Australia.
“Opening this vital pipeline would help plug these labour gaps and keep businesses open in Australia, as well as signalling to the world Australia is not just a haven from COVID-19 but a haven for those, like generations before, looking for new opportunities after a period of disaster.”
Irit Jackson, 21st April 2021
