Reply With QuoteYup that's exactly what the host on Q&A said, along with one of the farmers on the panel who got up him for paying so much below minimum wage. Some here won't look it up as it was on ABCOriginally Posted by isuzurover
Super Moderator
Minimum rate is about $22.50. I know an older fellow driving a B-double for less than that, he is employed in rural NSW town with high unemployment. The same, national, company pays a higher rate for Brisbane based drivers, in the same role.
Paying below the award is stealing from the employees, how would these companies react if the employees were stealing a tank full of diesel each week?
If you don't like trucks, stop buying stuff.
ChatterBox
SubscriberYup that's exactly what the host on Q&A said, along with one of the farmers on the panel who got up him for paying so much below minimum wage. Some here won't look it up as it was on ABC
Funny, there was case up here recently where a few backpackers made a similar complaint to the media. They did forget to add that they were also supplied accom, 3 meals a day plus Internet . Just a slight oversight on their behalf .Actually, speaking of fruit picking, did anyone see the farmer/ backpacker labour hire guy who basically dobbed himself in when he complained that they won't get any pickers as at the moment their paid on average $57/dayor about $285 for a 5 day week.
So that's about $6/hour , yup that will get the unemployed streaming through the doors lined up for such huge dollars!
Cheers Ean
ChatterBox
SubscriberThe problem raised on Q&A wasn't by any backpackers , but by a labour hire/ farmer who admitted " the average backpacker gets paid $57/day" in Mildura area. Now at base wage that's about $180for 8 hrs work or $220ish if you do 10hours so room and board at $120 to over $160 per night would want to be resort style accommodations and not a bunk with meat n 3 veg for tea!
I didn't see the program and was just making the point that not all cases are people just blatently being ripped off. If they are blatently robbing them then throw the book at them.
We employ a lot of casual backpackers and we pay the award wage as we get audited by independent auditors because we supply the major supermarket chains. 1 thing I have learnt thru dealing with backpackers, they are very savvy and know how the system works and who is s good employer and who isn't. The trouble comes shen they need to Aquire days for their second year visa and start offering to work for food and board just to get the days needed as most want to stay here as they have upwards of 50% unemployment for their age group where they have come from.
Then some cry wolf after they get the days signed off.
I deal with them on a weekly basis and could tell many stories about the rorts they try and pull.
Cheers Ean
SysAdmin (Owner)
a quick search for gatton, farm workers and rip off should bring some interesting results
up around here there has been some horror stories as well and they wonder why they cant attract australian workers...
after they went through the dodgy labour hire mobs around here you actually saw quite a few locals picking fruit
odd this subject came up, as just noticed the other day that the number of locals seems to be dropping off again, so i suspect the employers have worked out another rort and thus the numbers of locals is dropping off again.
one of my clients runs a fairly large enterprise based on berries and other fruits and they will only employ locals and pay just over the award rates and still reckon they make a tidy living so the mobs working the rorts must be making a tidy sum...
greed exists on both sides of the fence.
would hate to be in the middle trying to sort it out
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ChatterBox
SubscriberEan, it was interesting to watch as the local farmer on the panel ripped the bloke to shreds , saying (the same as you) that she paid her pickers award or above but then has to try and compete with people like him who cheat their workers. His only answer was that their paid per bin (and it's a poor or early harvest)not per hour. This sounds like the way they are rorting the system and avoiding paying minimum wage.
31st October episode
http://www.abc.net.au/tv/qanda/vodcast.htm
Were they charged for accommodation, meals, power, water or other items?
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They were paid X per hour but on top of that they got air con accom , all meals , wi fi etc etc all as a package which they signed and agreed too. Then when they left they went to the media and complained about getting ripped off and said they only got paid X per hour. When it all came out they got X per hour which was less than local labour , but local labour didn't get meals and accom provided.
I cant remember exact figure's but it wasn't as bad as they made out once they were reminded that they got accomm and meals etc included.
Cheers Ean
The down side of paying a hourly rate in that type of job is the slow people make the same as the good pickers. That is why a lot pay per bag/tub/bin whatever.
I am not saying that they shouldn't be paid fair, but there is no incentive to do the job , whereas if they get paid by what they pick then they go harder. pro's and con's to every side of the system used.
Just in case people don't know if travellers ( on a working visa ) do 90 days remote work in the 12 months they are here , they can get a 2nd year visa which they can work or not it doesn't matter, if they don't get 90 days they have to leave , this is why they want to do the fruit picking etc as it counts as remote work . Unless the rules have changed recently, they can also claim all the tax and super they paid whilst working here when they have left the country, so in theory they don't contribute 1c to use the facilities we all pay tax for.
Cheers Ean
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