Workers’ Union wants crackdown on visa unfairness
Exploitation Claims
Pacific workers brought to Australia including the far north to fill fruit picking and similar farm labour job shortages are still being exploited, according to a major union.
The Australian Workers Union has called on the federal government to crack down on the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme, saying there is ongoing widespread exploitation and rorting of foreign fruit pickers.
The PALM scheme allows eligible Australian businesses to hire workers from nine Pacific islands and Timor-Leste when there are not enough local workers available.
But the AWU said in many cases, hiring of the Pacific workers was nothing more than exploitation.
"Most PALM workers work in excess of 30 hours a week, and can earn over $800. But their take-home is less than $100 a week after dubious deductions for accommodation and transport," AWU National Secretary Daniel Walton said.
"After looking after their families back home, many PALM workers are left with nothing to buy even basic necessities.
“Many of the deductions we’ve seen are just plainly rorts. We’ve seen deductions for water, for safety gear, and for rapid antigen tests (RATs). We’ve seen food and accommodation deductions charged at outrageous rates. We’ve seen deductions for visa costs, for pre-departure recruitment and medical checks, and even for flights.
“We should make it explicit that the employer picks up the tab for flights and not the worker. If that principle is good enough for white collar workers coming to Australia, it should be good enough for farm workers too.”
After a recent conference, the AWU resolved to press the federal government to introduce new laws, limiting pay deductions for PALM workers.
"The Australian Government should introduce strict new rules to ensure PALM workers no longer need to pay for the bare basics of arriving and working in Australia,” Mr Walton said.
"PALM workers should also be allowed to move freely between employers, provided that adequate notice is provided and the new employer is known and approved.”