Latest news with #AustralianWorkers'Union
The Advertiser
4 days ago
- Business
- The Advertiser
Supermarket giant acts on 'appalling' worker conditions
Migrant workers who have lost limbs or been blinded in Australian workplaces fear they will be deported if they seek medical treatment, an inquiry into modern slavery has been told. Workers under the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme were particularly vulnerable due to their strict visa conditions, which stop them from changing employers, lawyer Joshua Strutt said. "PALM visa holders are one of the most exploited temporary visa holders in Australia," said Mr Strutt, the chief executive of the Immigration Advice and Rights Centre. The PALM scheme allows eligible Australian businesses to hire people from Pacific Island countries and Timor-Leste, usually to work in agriculture and meat processing. The legal service has heard from PALM workers who have been severely injured in workplace accidents, but are too scared to seek medical care. "There's this really huge power imbalance that exists through this system that needs to be fixed," Mr Strutt told the inquiry in Sydney on Monday. The NSW parliamentary inquiry is examining the risks of modern slavery in rural areas, investigating the extent of forced labour, violence, sexual servitude, labour trafficking and wage violations. Supermarket giant Woolworths took on a labour hire company after being told migrant workers in its Queensland supply chain were living in poor conditions. "We did a site inspection and the housing conditions were indeed appalling and unliveable," Woolworths group's human rights general manager Rachel Elliott said. "The workers had raised this with the labour hire provider to no avail." The unnamed labour hire organisation was booted from migrant worker schemes, but there have since been reports of the company attempting to operate in other states, she said. Woolworths conducts 1000 workplace audits in its supply chain each year, revealing about 5000 incidents of non-compliance that range from fire safety issues to underpayment. The underpayments were often the result of labour hire companies failing to pass on entitlements to workers, Ms Elliott said. After audits in NSW over the last two years, Woolworths has worked with suppliers to repay $50,000 in the meat industry and $48,000 in horticulture. Overcrowded accommodation was another pressing issue, with regular reports of 10 people living in one house and paying $170 per bed, Australian Workers' Union organiser Jonathan Cook told the inquiry. "It is a clear and obvious exploitation of farm workers," Mr Cook said. Several agricultural industry bodies cited an independent survey conducted by the Australian National University and the World Bank that found 98 per cent of PALM workers would recommend the scheme to others. But workers were not in a position of power to be open about their conditions, Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees' Association industrial officer Bernard Govind said. "We know migrant workers ... have a visceral fear of speaking up against workplace exploitation for fear of visa cancellation and deportation." The inquiry is due to hold a hearing in Griffith on June 19. Migrant workers who have lost limbs or been blinded in Australian workplaces fear they will be deported if they seek medical treatment, an inquiry into modern slavery has been told. Workers under the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme were particularly vulnerable due to their strict visa conditions, which stop them from changing employers, lawyer Joshua Strutt said. "PALM visa holders are one of the most exploited temporary visa holders in Australia," said Mr Strutt, the chief executive of the Immigration Advice and Rights Centre. The PALM scheme allows eligible Australian businesses to hire people from Pacific Island countries and Timor-Leste, usually to work in agriculture and meat processing. The legal service has heard from PALM workers who have been severely injured in workplace accidents, but are too scared to seek medical care. "There's this really huge power imbalance that exists through this system that needs to be fixed," Mr Strutt told the inquiry in Sydney on Monday. The NSW parliamentary inquiry is examining the risks of modern slavery in rural areas, investigating the extent of forced labour, violence, sexual servitude, labour trafficking and wage violations. Supermarket giant Woolworths took on a labour hire company after being told migrant workers in its Queensland supply chain were living in poor conditions. "We did a site inspection and the housing conditions were indeed appalling and unliveable," Woolworths group's human rights general manager Rachel Elliott said. "The workers had raised this with the labour hire provider to no avail." The unnamed labour hire organisation was booted from migrant worker schemes, but there have since been reports of the company attempting to operate in other states, she said. Woolworths conducts 1000 workplace audits in its supply chain each year, revealing about 5000 incidents of non-compliance that range from fire safety issues to underpayment. The underpayments were often the result of labour hire companies failing to pass on entitlements to workers, Ms Elliott said. After audits in NSW over the last two years, Woolworths has worked with suppliers to repay $50,000 in the meat industry and $48,000 in horticulture. Overcrowded accommodation was another pressing issue, with regular reports of 10 people living in one house and paying $170 per bed, Australian Workers' Union organiser Jonathan Cook told the inquiry. "It is a clear and obvious exploitation of farm workers," Mr Cook said. Several agricultural industry bodies cited an independent survey conducted by the Australian National University and the World Bank that found 98 per cent of PALM workers would recommend the scheme to others. But workers were not in a position of power to be open about their conditions, Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees' Association industrial officer Bernard Govind said. "We know migrant workers ... have a visceral fear of speaking up against workplace exploitation for fear of visa cancellation and deportation." The inquiry is due to hold a hearing in Griffith on June 19. Migrant workers who have lost limbs or been blinded in Australian workplaces fear they will be deported if they seek medical treatment, an inquiry into modern slavery has been told. Workers under the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme were particularly vulnerable due to their strict visa conditions, which stop them from changing employers, lawyer Joshua Strutt said. "PALM visa holders are one of the most exploited temporary visa holders in Australia," said Mr Strutt, the chief executive of the Immigration Advice and Rights Centre. The PALM scheme allows eligible Australian businesses to hire people from Pacific Island countries and Timor-Leste, usually to work in agriculture and meat processing. The legal service has heard from PALM workers who have been severely injured in workplace accidents, but are too scared to seek medical care. "There's this really huge power imbalance that exists through this system that needs to be fixed," Mr Strutt told the inquiry in Sydney on Monday. The NSW parliamentary inquiry is examining the risks of modern slavery in rural areas, investigating the extent of forced labour, violence, sexual servitude, labour trafficking and wage violations. Supermarket giant Woolworths took on a labour hire company after being told migrant workers in its Queensland supply chain were living in poor conditions. "We did a site inspection and the housing conditions were indeed appalling and unliveable," Woolworths group's human rights general manager Rachel Elliott said. "The workers had raised this with the labour hire provider to no avail." The unnamed labour hire organisation was booted from migrant worker schemes, but there have since been reports of the company attempting to operate in other states, she said. Woolworths conducts 1000 workplace audits in its supply chain each year, revealing about 5000 incidents of non-compliance that range from fire safety issues to underpayment. The underpayments were often the result of labour hire companies failing to pass on entitlements to workers, Ms Elliott said. After audits in NSW over the last two years, Woolworths has worked with suppliers to repay $50,000 in the meat industry and $48,000 in horticulture. Overcrowded accommodation was another pressing issue, with regular reports of 10 people living in one house and paying $170 per bed, Australian Workers' Union organiser Jonathan Cook told the inquiry. "It is a clear and obvious exploitation of farm workers," Mr Cook said. Several agricultural industry bodies cited an independent survey conducted by the Australian National University and the World Bank that found 98 per cent of PALM workers would recommend the scheme to others. But workers were not in a position of power to be open about their conditions, Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees' Association industrial officer Bernard Govind said. "We know migrant workers ... have a visceral fear of speaking up against workplace exploitation for fear of visa cancellation and deportation." The inquiry is due to hold a hearing in Griffith on June 19. Migrant workers who have lost limbs or been blinded in Australian workplaces fear they will be deported if they seek medical treatment, an inquiry into modern slavery has been told. Workers under the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme were particularly vulnerable due to their strict visa conditions, which stop them from changing employers, lawyer Joshua Strutt said. "PALM visa holders are one of the most exploited temporary visa holders in Australia," said Mr Strutt, the chief executive of the Immigration Advice and Rights Centre. The PALM scheme allows eligible Australian businesses to hire people from Pacific Island countries and Timor-Leste, usually to work in agriculture and meat processing. The legal service has heard from PALM workers who have been severely injured in workplace accidents, but are too scared to seek medical care. "There's this really huge power imbalance that exists through this system that needs to be fixed," Mr Strutt told the inquiry in Sydney on Monday. The NSW parliamentary inquiry is examining the risks of modern slavery in rural areas, investigating the extent of forced labour, violence, sexual servitude, labour trafficking and wage violations. Supermarket giant Woolworths took on a labour hire company after being told migrant workers in its Queensland supply chain were living in poor conditions. "We did a site inspection and the housing conditions were indeed appalling and unliveable," Woolworths group's human rights general manager Rachel Elliott said. "The workers had raised this with the labour hire provider to no avail." The unnamed labour hire organisation was booted from migrant worker schemes, but there have since been reports of the company attempting to operate in other states, she said. Woolworths conducts 1000 workplace audits in its supply chain each year, revealing about 5000 incidents of non-compliance that range from fire safety issues to underpayment. The underpayments were often the result of labour hire companies failing to pass on entitlements to workers, Ms Elliott said. After audits in NSW over the last two years, Woolworths has worked with suppliers to repay $50,000 in the meat industry and $48,000 in horticulture. Overcrowded accommodation was another pressing issue, with regular reports of 10 people living in one house and paying $170 per bed, Australian Workers' Union organiser Jonathan Cook told the inquiry. "It is a clear and obvious exploitation of farm workers," Mr Cook said. Several agricultural industry bodies cited an independent survey conducted by the Australian National University and the World Bank that found 98 per cent of PALM workers would recommend the scheme to others. But workers were not in a position of power to be open about their conditions, Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees' Association industrial officer Bernard Govind said. "We know migrant workers ... have a visceral fear of speaking up against workplace exploitation for fear of visa cancellation and deportation." The inquiry is due to hold a hearing in Griffith on June 19.
West Australian
4 days ago
- Business
- West Australian
Supermarket giant acts on 'appalling' worker conditions
Migrant workers who have lost limbs or been blinded in Australian workplaces fear they will be deported if they seek medical treatment, an inquiry into modern slavery has been told. Workers under the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme were particularly vulnerable due to their strict visa conditions, which stop them from changing employers, lawyer Joshua Strutt said. "PALM visa holders are one of the most exploited temporary visa holders in Australia," said Mr Strutt, the chief executive of the Immigration Advice and Rights Centre. The PALM scheme allows eligible Australian businesses to hire people from Pacific Island countries and Timor-Leste, usually to work in agriculture and meat processing. The legal service has heard from PALM workers who have been severely injured in workplace accidents, but are too scared to seek medical care. "There's this really huge power imbalance that exists through this system that needs to be fixed," Mr Strutt told the inquiry in Sydney on Monday. The NSW parliamentary inquiry is examining the risks of modern slavery in rural areas, investigating the extent of forced labour, violence, sexual servitude, labour trafficking and wage violations. Supermarket giant Woolworths took on a labour hire company after being told migrant workers in its Queensland supply chain were living in poor conditions. "We did a site inspection and the housing conditions were indeed appalling and unliveable," Woolworths group's human rights general manager Rachel Elliott said. "The workers had raised this with the labour hire provider to no avail." The unnamed labour hire organisation was booted from migrant worker schemes, but there have since been reports of the company attempting to operate in other states, she said. Woolworths conducts 1000 workplace audits in its supply chain each year, revealing about 5000 incidents of non-compliance that range from fire safety issues to underpayment. The underpayments were often the result of labour hire companies failing to pass on entitlements to workers, Ms Elliott said. After audits in NSW over the last two years, Woolworths has worked with suppliers to repay $50,000 in the meat industry and $48,000 in horticulture. Overcrowded accommodation was another pressing issue, with regular reports of 10 people living in one house and paying $170 per bed, Australian Workers' Union organiser Jonathan Cook told the inquiry. "It is a clear and obvious exploitation of farm workers," Mr Cook said. Several agricultural industry bodies cited an independent survey conducted by the Australian National University and the World Bank that found 98 per cent of PALM workers would recommend the scheme to others. But workers were not in a position of power to be open about their conditions, Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees' Association industrial officer Bernard Govind said. "We know migrant workers ... have a visceral fear of speaking up against workplace exploitation for fear of visa cancellation and deportation." The inquiry is due to hold a hearing in Griffith on June 19.
Perth Now
4 days ago
- Business
- Perth Now
Supermarket giant acts on 'appalling' worker conditions
Migrant workers who have lost limbs or been blinded in Australian workplaces fear they will be deported if they seek medical treatment, an inquiry into modern slavery has been told. Workers under the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme were particularly vulnerable due to their strict visa conditions, which stop them from changing employers, lawyer Joshua Strutt said. "PALM visa holders are one of the most exploited temporary visa holders in Australia," said Mr Strutt, the chief executive of the Immigration Advice and Rights Centre. The PALM scheme allows eligible Australian businesses to hire people from Pacific Island countries and Timor-Leste, usually to work in agriculture and meat processing. The legal service has heard from PALM workers who have been severely injured in workplace accidents, but are too scared to seek medical care. "There's this really huge power imbalance that exists through this system that needs to be fixed," Mr Strutt told the inquiry in Sydney on Monday. The NSW parliamentary inquiry is examining the risks of modern slavery in rural areas, investigating the extent of forced labour, violence, sexual servitude, labour trafficking and wage violations. Supermarket giant Woolworths took on a labour hire company after being told migrant workers in its Queensland supply chain were living in poor conditions. "We did a site inspection and the housing conditions were indeed appalling and unliveable," Woolworths group's human rights general manager Rachel Elliott said. "The workers had raised this with the labour hire provider to no avail." The unnamed labour hire organisation was booted from migrant worker schemes, but there have since been reports of the company attempting to operate in other states, she said. Woolworths conducts 1000 workplace audits in its supply chain each year, revealing about 5000 incidents of non-compliance that range from fire safety issues to underpayment. The underpayments were often the result of labour hire companies failing to pass on entitlements to workers, Ms Elliott said. After audits in NSW over the last two years, Woolworths has worked with suppliers to repay $50,000 in the meat industry and $48,000 in horticulture. Overcrowded accommodation was another pressing issue, with regular reports of 10 people living in one house and paying $170 per bed, Australian Workers' Union organiser Jonathan Cook told the inquiry. "It is a clear and obvious exploitation of farm workers," Mr Cook said. Several agricultural industry bodies cited an independent survey conducted by the Australian National University and the World Bank that found 98 per cent of PALM workers would recommend the scheme to others. But workers were not in a position of power to be open about their conditions, Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees' Association industrial officer Bernard Govind said. "We know migrant workers ... have a visceral fear of speaking up against workplace exploitation for fear of visa cancellation and deportation." The inquiry is due to hold a hearing in Griffith on June 19.
ABC News
20-05-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Liberty Bay Bell workers forced to take time off worry about financial future
Younger workers at troubled manganese alloy smelter Liberty Bell Bay in Tasmania's north have little-to-no accrued leave, according to the Australian Workers' Union. "The union has received a number of calls from employees concerned they have little-to-no leave balance for that period," Robert Flanagan, from the union told ABC Mornings. The owner of Liberty Bell Bay, GFG-Alliance, announced yesterday it had no choice but to place the smelter in a period of limited operations, essentially scaling back operations. The company said the decision was made due to a number of reasons, including ore supply issues, global price volatility and US tariffs. Liberty Bell Bay produces manganese alloy, which is used to strengthen steel for construction. "LBB lost its main ore supplier last year due to tropical cyclone Megan, which caused extensive damage to South 32's GEMCO infrastructure, placing pressure on inventory and working capital," a spokesperson for Liberty Bell Bay said on Monday. "We are still working through ore supply options at present." There are about 250 workers at Liberty Bell Bay. They've been asked to take any leave they have owed during the limited operations period. Those without leave have been stood down without pay. "On the last two occasions that we've had shutdowns, employees have been provided with alternative duties and paid their usual pay. "The approach the company is proposing on this occasion is a diversion from that, and it is creating significant anxiety." Mr Flanagan said the limited operations period will commence on June 16 and is scheduled to end a month later on July 13. "It is possible the date will extend, but it's expected the limited operations will end on July 13," he said. The union is meeting with GFG-Alliance tomorrow to discuss the worker's concerns. At this stage, the company said there will be no forced redundancies. Beams Brothers is a fourth-generation Tasmanian quarry business at Flowery Gully in the West Tamar. It supplies raw materials to Liberty Bell Bay and employs about 50 people. "We've known about this for a while, I'm not an expert on it but I definitely know if you look at the information on the raw material I have no doubt that it's right. "Manganese is not readily available right across the country." Susie Bower, chief executive of the Bell Bay Advanced Manufacturing Zone, said it was not just the direct employees impacted by Liberty Bell Bay's decision to limit operations. "This has flow-on effects to our supply chain and to our small and medium businesses that support Liberty Bell Bay and their operation, so I'm trying to get that picture together and see what that means for our whole area and supply chain," she said. Ms Bower said there were also options available for workers considering re-training or other career opportunities. "We have the Northern Employment Business Hub, which is funded by Jobs Tasmania. That'll be providing support to the local community," she said. "If any employees are a little uncertain about their future or want to look at other opportunities, we'll certainly provide that to them." George Town Council mayor, Greg Kieser, said the community was anxious. "I share those concerns, as I'm sure you can imagine … it's going to be a rocky road," Cr Kieser said. "The message we're receiving is that there is a scenario where this ends well. They do have a supply chain crunch from one of their suppliers. "The workers, we want to make sure we retain that staffing there, and that they get some certainty back in their life at the soonest opportunity." Tasmania's Premier Jeremy Rockliff said he met with Cr Kieser this morning about the situation. "Last week, I engaged with the prime minister directly, requesting the federal government to support our major employer as a matter of priority," Mr Rockliff said in a statement. The Federal Industry Minister Tim Ayres has called on GFG-Alliance to be more" transparent" about the issues facing the business and to give the smelter enough support to allow it to continue processing ore.
West Australian
13-05-2025
- General
- West Australian
Prescribed burns to continue in South West after firefighting industrial action concludes with new offer
The State's bush firefighters have accepted a new pay offer with members to return to work on prescribed burns and load management in regional areas. Australian Workers' Union and Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions delegates met in Bunbury last week to endorse the agreement to allow more inclusive time off and better pay. It comes after shadow minister for forestry and Warren-Blackwood MLA Bevan Eatts raised concerns about 150 preventative burns would be impacted by industrial action, and he is also pushing for better fire management strategies in the regions. 'I understand why these workers are taking a stand. They're on the frontline of our fire seasons and deserve both respect and resources,' he said. 'I'm committed to working with government, local brigades, forest managers and environmental groups to get this right. 'We need a regional fire strategy that values local input and takes account of environmental as well as community risk.' The bush firefighters undertake controlled prescribed burns and are responsible for frontline bushfire management outside of the metropolitan area. Industrial action was paused on May 8 once the negotiations were nearing conclusion, with workers to return to work for good now the agreement has been accepted. AWU WA branch president Andy Hacking said the crews worked 'work long hours in dangerous conditions' with the landmark pay offer constituting a 'substantial and meaningful increase to their base rate of pay'. 'This new offer means that our members are able to return to undertaking their vital work of prescribed burns and load management to keep our regional communities safe,' he said. 'The AWU's members and delegates from across WA including Manjimup, Margaret River, Busselton, Kirup, Nannup, Collie, Walpole and surrounding areas have strongly endorsed this new enterprise bargaining agreement.' A DBCA spokesperson said with negotiations now settled, prescribed burning would take place when it was safe to do so. 'DBCA values the work of its 344 AWU-represented frontline bush firefighting staff,' they said.
