Date Time
Fair Work Commission Concludes AWU Farm Workers Case
The Fair Work Commission has concluded hearing evidence in the Horticulture Award variation case brought by the AWU.
The case is an attempt by the AWU to end widespread worker exploitation and wage theft in the fruit and vegetable picking industry through the abuse of piece-rate payments.
The FWC has now heard from an array of witnesses who have highlighted the need for a minimum-wage safety net to end the current piece-rates system, which is open to abuse and has often seen workers do backbreaking work only to be paid as low as a few dollars an hour.
Aussie farms the centrepiece for exploitation in this country macrobusiness.com.au - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from macrobusiness.com.au Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Date Time
Fair Work Hears AWU’s Farmers Fair Work Claim
The case, which began on Tuesday, is an attempt by the AWU to end widespread worker exploitation and wage theft in the fruit and vegetable picking industry through the abuse of piece-rate payments.
The FWC has now heard from an array of witnesses who have highlighted the need for a minimum-wage safety net to end the current piece-rates system, which is open to abuse and has often seen workers do backbreaking work only to be paid as low as a few dollars an hour.
On Thursday the AWU’s expert witness, Dr Elsa Underhill from Deakin University, gave detailed evidence of widespread systemic wage theft and worker exploitation in the industry.
I was desperate : the fight to get Australia s fruit pickers a fair wage | Australian trade unions theguardian.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from theguardian.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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at 1:20 pm on July 14, 2021 | 2 comments
Amid the conga-line of evidence showing that temporary migrants have been ruthlessly exploited on Australia’s farms, which has frequently been labelled “modern slavery”, the Australian Workers Union (AWU) has lodged an application with the Fair Work Commission to amend the Horticulture Award to guarantee a minimum casual rate of pay for all farm workers.
As expected, the agricultural industry has hit back, claiming that implementing a minimum rate of pay would force up fruit and vegetable prices:
In the lead up to this week’s hearing farmers have been vocal opponents of any changes to the award rate – with some arguing a floor in the minimum pay rate would be burdensome and result in an increase in prices for customers…