The federal government’s Protecting Migrant Workers — Information and Education program has marked 12 months of operation, helping migrant workers understand their workplace rights and recover stolen wages, while exposing cases of exploitation and modern slavery.
Since its launch, as per ABC News, more than 16,400 visa holders have participated in sessions run by unions across the country, offered in dozens of languages.
In Victoria, $236,000 has been recovered for workers through individual case support, while in Queensland, the program identified 70 African migrant workers on a Gatton farm who had been denied superannuation for years. When confronted with the debt, the farm owners “phoenixed” the company to avoid paying, Unions NSW reported.
Across Australia, the $13.5 million program, run by the Department of Home Affairs, has uncovered millions in unpaid wages, threats of visa cancellation, and cases of modern slavery.
In NSW alone, $1.35 million in potential unpaid wage claims has been identified, alongside breaches involving workplace injury and exploitation.
One particularly shocking case involved a woman trapped in domestic servitude for nearly seven years by a prominent Sydney business owner. She was deprived of paid leave and superannuation while cooking, cleaning, and providing personal care seven days a week, only able to leave the house with her employer’s permission. The woman is estimated to have been deprived of $500,000, which unions are now helping her recover.
The program also supports workers brought to Australia under schemes like the Pacific Island Labor Mobility (PALM) program. In Wagga Wagga, about 20 PALM workers—mostly women with young children—attended sessions on their workplace rights, while in South Australia, a worker named Abilio had his wages stolen and work records altered by his employer, who also acted as his landlord.
Unions operating the program are calling for guaranteed funding for three years to continue these efforts.
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