Australian Immigration Backs National Fair Work Campaign

Migrant workers rights will be protected in campaign.

The Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) is backing a national campaign by the Fair Work Ombudsman to educate employers in the agricultural industry on its obligations to migrant workers.

A spokesman for the DIAC said that Australian visa holders “represent a significant proportion of the harvest workforce for a wide variety of crops” and therefore it was vital that employers were made fully aware of the immigration requirements.

Back in September of last year the government introduced new legislation to protect overseas workers from being exploited and to prevent employers using cheap migrant labour as a replacement for local labour.

The DIAC announced that it would be working closely with the Australian Taxation Office, the Fair Work Ombudsman and various health and safety agencies to ensure that migrant workers receive fair salary levels and that working conditions and hours were safe. The legislation ensured that all workers in Australia, whether on temporary working visas or whether they were Australian citizens, were covered by Australian workplace laws.

However getting that message across to employers can be difficult, which is why immigration outreach officers are working in partnership with the agricultural industry and with the unions to spread the word amongst employers across Australia. This new initiative with the Fair Work Ombudsman will ensure that the message spreads across the agricultural section and that employers are aware of the consequences should they choose to breach these laws.

“The department is committed to ensuring the integrity of our migration and visa programs,” announced a DIAC spokesman. “If people work illegally or if people employ illegal workers, they face being caught.”

Employers found to be in breach of the new legislation, that came into effect on the 1^st of January this year, face fines of up to $33,000.

To make it easier for employers to check whether their workforce has the right to work in Australia, the government launched the Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO) service. With the workers consent the employer simply has to provide relevant identity details to quickly confirm that the person is entitled to work in Australia. Any illegal worker faces fines of up to $13,200 and two years in jail whilst employers of illegal workers could be fined up to $66,000 per worker.

It is hoped that this tough new stance will deter employers from exploiting illegal workers and it also makes it harder for illegal workers to find employment in Australia.

If you are looking for work in Australia, make sure you know exactly what you can and cannot do in accordance with your visa. Our Australian visa guide answers all your questions for you and our online forum are there to help and assist you in preparing for your new life in Australia.

Other related articles:

• Australian Government Urges Employers To Go Local - The DIAC respond to criticism over employers substiting local workers...
• Australian Government Protects Migrant Workers - Workers migrating to Australia have rights enforced in new laws...
• Australian Immigration Dept Suspends GSM Visas - The DIAC suspends certain GSM visas until the end of...
• Australian Businesses Back Immigration - Many businesses criticise plans to scale back on Australian immigration...

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