Exploited Labour: no accurate time sheets: no award rate of payment: no penalty rates: no union membership: not a thing to build a life on

I am listening to Kelly O'Dwyer rabbiting on at the National Press Club of Australia. She paints an economic wonderland of retirement income products, taxation incentives so that people with work.... All very well, but I wonder when I will hear an NPCA host a speaker on exploited labour in Australia. There is a wide range of labour exploitation in Australia and yet it seems to be treated as an occasional aberration. And it is happening in all sorts of ways to all sorts of people. One of the largest sectors of exploitation is based on gender. Women with low skills, women being discriminated against, women getting fewer promotions, women getting lower wages and salaries and.... And then there is the class/education divide and the multitude of people in lower-skilled jobs such as cleaners and look at what MYER has done with them ... and they are not the only employer into sham contracting. I have a friend whom I would describe as middle-class but she has been forced into sham contracting at an administrative level. She is in her middle years and because of age discrimination and age/gender discrimination, the likelihood of finding appropriately paid alternative work is unlikely. And please note that all this is before we get on to the topic of migrant labor, seasonal labor, very low-skilled labour, shonky labour hire companies and the similarly shonky labour hire companies who have a veneer of class and respectability. And so on. And this is before we get to foreign owned businesses, companies, and corporations bringing in their own labour or exploitation Australian labour. And then there are the industries where rip-offs are part of the culture. Top of that list in my experience are the service industries - tourism, hospitality, retail. Flat hourly rate payments abound. The biggest push for the abolition of penalty rates comes from this sector. There is a large sector of female employment, often at low skill levels. There is a large sector of casualisation - often teens and twenties people and again a significant cohort of females. And all this before I mention fruit-picking and horticultural and agricultural employment. I am an old union official who has worked across a wide range of industries and the employment of cheap foreign labour. I am happy to receive personal stories. I publish stuff on this topic on this blog.  

If you have first person stories you can email me at misseaglesnetwork@gmail.com. 

Exploitation of labour

Black jobs

The labour market's dark side

A POST-SCRIPT TO THE NETWORK'S POSTS FOLLOWING THE ABC PROGRAM ON EXPLOITED LABOUR - "SLAVING AWAY"

For the background to the post below, please go here.

Earlier this year, we circulated the Fair Food petition to support workers in our fresh food industry to end exploitation and create decent, secure jobs. We're sending this email as part of that campaign.

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Dear Friends,

Yesterday, a small group of farm workers attended a National Farmers Federation (NFF) forum in Canberra on "industry solutions to worker exploitation." The NFF conveniently forgot to invite farm workers to speak at the event, but workers, with their union, decided to show up!

These workers bravely told their story in Canberra and pushed NFF members to end the underpayments, sexual abuse, long hours and intimidation.

Check out the video of Winnie and Kayla here - it's an incredibly amazing effort!

As workers fight for a seat at the table in Canberra, let's show the farm industry that Australians have these workers' backs. Ask friends and family members to add their names to the Fair Food petition. 

The National Union of Workers (NUW) is committed to seeing decent and secure jobs that provide a living wage across Australia’s fresh food supply chain. Since the Fair Food campaign began, many more workers have joined the NUW and have begun campaigning for respect and fair wages at work. 

We've had some wins, too!

Workers at Covino in Victoria are now being employed directly and the dodgy labour hire contractor can no longer continue underpaying or abusing workers there. De Vine Ripe tomato workers have also been offered direct employment, and are finally earning the legal minimum wage.

Together, we're changing Australia's food industry.

There are big hurdles ahead, and workers have got a lot of work to do to make the two major supermarkets listen. Coles and Woolworths dominate the fresh food industry -- any solution to ending worker exploitation cannot be reached without their full participation.

Our action in Canberra, with Coles and Woolworths representatives in the room, is the first step to get Coles and Woolworths to pay attention to farm workers' concerns.

Let's show Coles, Woolworths and the entire farm industry that Australia wants an end to farm worker exploitation. Take a few moments to share the Fair Food petition with friends and family members to help us reach our goal of 10,000 signatures:www.fairfoodaustralia.org

Thanks for all that you're doing to support Australian farm workers,

From the whole NUW team!

P.S. Check out workers speaking up in Canberra right now on Twitter with #OzFairFood

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National Union of Workers started this petition on Coworker. If there's an issue close to your heart that you'd like to campaign on, you can start your campaign here.

Part 4: 'Slaving Away' outfall and fall-out : Woolworths admits moral responsibiity at Senate Inquiry : still refusing to meet workers and the National Union of Workers

Cross-posted with Advocacy

Dear Brigid Today saw NUW members speak at the first Senate Inquiry into Australia's temporary work visas. The NUW remains firm: Coles and Woolworths have the power to fix this Labour hire agencies need to be regulated No workers should be forced to work for poverty wages in our fresh food supply chain We cannot allow a two-class system to remain in Australia. Every worker counts! Woolworths also appeared at today's Senate Inquiry, and admitted moral responsibility for underpaid farm workers. However, Woolworths are still refusing to meet with workers and the NUW to talk about a Fair Food Agreement to eradicate exploitation from our fresh food. Help put the pressure on and sign the petition here! And remember, we all have friends and family that can help. Share this petition with your community. NUW's Godfrey Moase, Winnie Lin, Caterina Cinanni, Sherry Huang and George Robertson with Senator Sue Lines and Senator Deborah O'Neill If you haven't watched the Four Corners program that exposed exploitation, you can watch it here. In unity, Tim Kennedy National Secretary National Union of Workers Email: nuwassist@nuw.org.au Call: 1300 275 689 National: 833 Bourke St, Docklands VIC 3008 Click here for office locations Website: www.nuw.org.au © Copyright National Union of Workers Unsubscribe

TWU boss calls for all migrant workers to be given the vote Workplace watchdog aims for top of retailers' supply chain on worker exploitation We need a new class of visa for low-skilled migrant workers Taskforce to target worker exploitation, visa fraud following 'slave labour' revelations Inquiries into 417 visa to be expanded Previous posts referencing this topic  can be found on this site at: Part 1 - Slavery in Australia. Is the 'Let 'er rip" attitude on visas for overseas workers going to be stopped? The Robinvale experience Part 2 - Names have been named in "Slaving Away".  Here they are recorded below and their responses. Part 3: The conscious consumer becomes the aware and ethical shopper.  Destroy the slavers from the checkouts of Australia! What are you buying? How did it get to you?  Whose hands has it passed through?