australia urged to crack down on abuse of migrant labour
Last Updated : GMT 09:40:38
Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle
Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle
Last Updated : GMT 09:40:38
Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle

Australia urged to crack down on abuse of migrant labour

Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle

Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicleAustralia urged to crack down on abuse of migrant labour

An Australian state government
Sydney - AFP

Australia faced growing calls Tuesday to crack down on the exploitation of migrants labouring in farms and factories, after a television investigation claimed foreigners toiled in conditions akin to "slave labour".

Using footage from secret cameras, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation found migrants were being paid well under the legal minimum and working up to 18 hours a day in harsh conditions.

"There's slave labour in this country," National Party member of parliament Keith Pitt told the Four Corners programme about workers picking and packing foods for supermarket shelves.

"It's something we need to get rid of."

The programme interviewed young workers who were thousands of dollars underpaid, in some cases earning less than the minimum wage on their late-night and early-morning shifts.

In one instance, a group of labourers from Hong Kong and Taiwan picking cucumbers in Queensland were being paid Aus$13-14 (US$10.19-10.97) an hour for backbreaking work while Australian workers doing the same job were paid more than Aus$20.
"I've thought this is very unfair ever since I came here," said one tearful worker from Hong Kong, where the minimum wage is equivalent to Aus$5.31 an hour.

Workers employed under unscrupulous labour contractors in Australia were also toiling under false names and in the case of vulnerable women, faced sexual harassment, said the report which focused on exploitation in several states including Victoria.

Natalie Hutchins, Victoria's industrial relations minister, said the state government was forming a committee to conduct an inquiry aimed at cracking down on illegal operators and would push for a national response.

"This is not just about the underpayment of wages -- this is about creating an underclass of foreign workers," she posted on her Facebook site.

"The Victorian government will also advocate for a national response to what is a national shame."

- Cheap labour -
Pitt also called for the government to fund a task force to go undercover to investigate the exploitation of workers to "try to crack down on this".

"I would think you would find that there's effectively a whole heap of crooks making an awful lot of money out of the exploitation of a whole lot of people who really don't know any different," he told the ABC.

The Labor opposition, which helped instigate a national Senate hearing into visas which is due to report back later this year, urged the government of Prime Minister Tony Abbott immediately to look into the allegations of exploitation.

"The 417 Working Holiday Visa is for young people who want to holiday and work in Australia for up to a year," said opposition immigration spokesman Richard Marles.

"It must not be used as a backdoor avenue to source cheap labour on conditions the community would find appalling."

The government made no immediate comment.

Migrant workers are essential to Australia's agriculture sector, and without them there would be chronic labour shortages at peak harvest times, the National Farmers Federation said.

It said the television programme highlighted the need to do more to get rid of employers who ignored Australia's laws and took advantage of vulnerable workers.

"While most employers do the right thing, not all do," said the group's president Brent Finlay.

"Individuals who act outside the law drag the rest of the industry down. There are strong laws in place to prevent this kind of activity, and we need to make sure they are effective on the ground."

Australian supermarket giants Coles and Woolworths said their suppliers complied with Australian law and paid their workers all their entitlements.

 

themuslimchronicle
themuslimchronicle

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

australia urged to crack down on abuse of migrant labour australia urged to crack down on abuse of migrant labour

 



Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle
Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle
Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle

GMT 21:49 2018 Tuesday ,23 January

Trump to tell Erdogan of concern over Syria offensive

GMT 08:26 2018 Tuesday ,23 January

Five things to know about Davos

GMT 16:13 2018 Sunday ,14 January

Netanyahu urges Macron to 'fix' Iran nuclear deal

GMT 10:17 2016 Thursday ,21 January

WHO confirms second new Ebola case in Sierra Leone

GMT 13:33 2011 Wednesday ,06 July

Russia bids to expand Arctic border to seek gas

GMT 09:06 2011 Wednesday ,21 September

Powerful typhoon hits Japan

GMT 11:15 2011 Wednesday ,03 August

2 glaciers in Nepal to disappear

GMT 19:01 2017 Saturday ,19 August

Finland suspect an asylum seeker, targeted women

GMT 02:45 2017 Wednesday ,08 February

Coup defeat a matter of time, says Yemeni VP

GMT 17:38 2017 Friday ,14 July

Saad Lamjarred denied issuance of new song

GMT 16:02 2011 Thursday ,21 April

Chelsea squad not good enough

GMT 11:29 2011 Tuesday ,19 July

Etihad Towers on track for delivery

GMT 02:05 2017 Wednesday ,22 February

UAE takes keen interest in supporting higher education

GMT 07:17 2017 Saturday ,01 July

Key US inflation measure declines in May
Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle
Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle
 
 Themuslimchronicle Facebook,themuslimchronicle facebook  Themuslimchronicle Twitter,themuslimchronicle twitter Themuslimchronicle Rss,themuslimchronicle rss  Themuslimchronicle Youtube,themuslimchronicle youtube  Themuslimchronicle Youtube,themuslimchronicle youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2023 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2023 ©

muslimchronicle muslimchronicle muslimchronicle muslimchronicle
themuslimchronicle themuslimchronicle themuslimchronicle
themuslimchronicle
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle