The Mercury revealed last week Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) claims that 29 workers at the Manildra site are receiving as little as $1.75 an hour.

According to the CFMEU, 13 Chinese nationals and 16 Filipino nationals are being paid $20,000 a year for 10 to 11 hours’ work a day, six to seven days a week and are then being charged around $13,000 a year for board and lodging.

However, the Department of Immigration and Border Protection dodged questions from the Mercury about how many 457 visas were in use in the Illawarra, which companies had applied to use them, their reasons for applying,  and whether they no longer had to advertise locally to fill positions.

A spokeswoman said the department was ‘‘investigating allegations regarding a 457 sponsor contracting workers at the South Coast’’ and it was understood the matter had been referred to the Fair Work Ombudsman.

‘‘The department takes any alleged breach of subclass 457 visa sponsorship allegations very seriously and investigates appropriately,’’ the spokeswoman said. 

‘‘If a sponsor is found to have failed an obligation, the department institutes appropriate action, which may take the form of imposing administrative sanctions, issuing infringement notices executing enforceable undertakings or applying to the Federal Court for a civil penalty order.’’ 

CFMEU organisers met the Australian representative of Chia Tung Development Corporation, the company that employs the workers, Alan Sinclair in Wollongong on Thursday.

Mr Sinclair’s lawyer made a brief statement to media, saying there were ‘‘continuing discussions with the union and the relevant authorities’’.

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