Australian immigration department backs workers' rights campaign
March 15 2010 by Liam Clifford
The Australian immigration department has announced its support for a campaign that intends to raise awareness of workers’ rights in the horticultural industry – with the emphasis on Australian work visa holders.
The campaign has been launched by the Fair Work Ombudsman and
also involved is the Australian Workers Union, the National Farmers Federation,
the Australian Industry Group and Horticulture Australia Group.
A
spokesperson for the immigration department said that Australian visa holders
make up a large proportion of the people working in harvesting jobs. It is,
therefore, crucial that the industry adheres to guidelines on employment
practices to ensure the migrant workers’ rights are upheld.
To help
advise employers on this, immigration outreach workers are helping to provide
guidance on the correct employment practices when taking on foreigners working
in Australia. These obligations include rules on wages, working conditions and
hours etc.
The Australian immigration spokesperson added that there are
serious implication for employers that break the rules: “the department is
committed to ensuring the integrity of our migration and visa programs. If
people work illegally or if people employ illegal workers, they face being
caught.”
See the latest Immigration News
