At its best, the scheme changes lives – like an abattoir worker using savings to supply clean drinking water to his Vanuatu village. But exploitation remains rife.
Articles on Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme
Displaying all articles
Seasonal workers are often considered to be expendable, cheap labour. New research across three states has found they’re also subject to crowded accommodation.
Unlike Australian workers, guest workers from Pacific nations are denied the right to switch employers. Thousands who have fled bad employers live in Australia informally without support.
Australia is rapidly expanding visa programs for Pacific Islanders to fill labour shortages. More needs to be done to overcome cultural tensions in local communities.
Australian and New Zealand demand for seasonal workers is having a major impact on Pacific nations’ economies. It will be a hard cycle to break.
Many farmers want to do the right thing. But their livelihoods will be threatened if weak visa rules allow dodgy operators to mistreat migrant workers.
Top contributors
-
Program Director, Housing and Economic Security, Grattan Institute
-
Deputy Program Director (Migration), Grattan Institute
-
Honorary Research Associate, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University
-
Research Scholar, Massey University
-
Professor of Development Studies, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University
-
Senior Lecturer, Griffith University
-
Adjunct Senior Research Fellow, School of Media, Film and Journalism, Monash University
-
Senior Lecturer, School of Sociology, Australian National University
-
Associate Professor and Discipline Lead Property, Curtin University
-
Researcher, Curtin University
-
Professor, School of Management and Marketing, Faculty of Business and Law, Curtin University
-
Senior Lecturer and Researcher, School of Social Sciences, Monash University
-
Senior Lecturer, Human Geography, Curtin University