Extract from The Guardian
Updated
Photo:
Teys Cargill employee Amy Chang says workers are afraid to speak
out about the poor working conditions in Australia's meat industry. (ABC 7.30)
Asian workers in Australia's poultry industry are
being encouraged to lodge bogus refugee visa applications to extend
their stay in Australia.
Malaysian workers at Baiada's poultry
plant in Beresfield, near Newcastle, have been charged up to $3,500 by
their labour hire agency to file an application for a protection visa. When the visa is declined, an appeal is lodged, and the workers are able to extend their stay by up to 18 months.
The ABC's 7.30 program has seen two such recent applications.
"The agent just introduced that refugee visa that ... [is] more better," one worker, who asked for anonymity, said.
"You get the right to work and you don't need to pay the student fees.
"He told me just go to the interview and just make some story, some bullshit, that he didn't care, he just want to postpone and get another bridging visa, renew the visa so that we can continue to go to work."
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"It's a clear rort ... and clearly companies that are using these sorts of workers are very, very much aware of it," he said.
Workers made to sign away overtime wage rights
Last month a Senate inquiry and two state inquiries were launched and a Federal Government Taskforce established, following revelations on Four Corners of systematic exploitation of foreign visa workers in Australia's food industry.
Some employees were working 18 hours a day, for as little as $11 an hour.
Many were being charged exorbitant rent by their labour hire company for squalid, crowded accommodation.
"You're looking at two and three-bedroom houses with workers of up to 20 and 30 people who are living in these houses," said Mr Courtney.
"Honestly, I wouldn't let my dog sleep in half of them."
The union is concerned the poor pay conditions are now spreading to locally employed Australian workers.
Australia's largest privately owned labour hire company, AWX, has been getting Asian recruits to sign a "Voluntary Agreement to Undertake Overtime", under which they waive their rights to be paid extra for working overtime.
The union said this is illegal under the Fair Work Act.
Employees scared to fight for 'normal worker rights'
Although most foreign workers employed in the meat industry were frightened to be publicly identified for fear of losing their jobs, Taiwanese graduate Amy Chang decided it was time she spoke out.She was employed by AWX and attended a three-week "training" course where she and her colleagues worked long hours for no pay.
"No one [is] training us," she told 7.30.
"It's just one boner ... he's very busy for his job.
"No one [is teaching] us, so we need learn how to use the knife, and we're very scared to hurt ourselves."
Amy said she loved Australia and the friends she had made here, but the conditions of work for her and her colleagues had been a shock.
"We know Australia is a beautiful country, it's nice and it's fair here," she said.
"We don't want to just come here ... and feel we have a nightmare."
Although she might lose her current job at Wagga's Teys Cargill meatworks, she said somebody had to speak out.
"It's just normal worker rights," Ms Chang said.
"Everyone wants to [fight] that, but everyone [is] scared they [will] lose their job, but needs someone to do that."
"So I hope [I've] not got trouble after."
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