Emigrate to Australia: Migrant protection
16 October 2016 by News DeskEmigrate to Australia where the new taskforce will aim to provide better protections for workers.
Emigrate to Australia where Minister for Employment, Michaelia Cash, said the taskforce will bolster the government’s efforts to crack down on employers seeking to take advantage of migrant workers.
“A number of recent high-profile cases where vulnerable migrant workers have been underpaid and exploited at work have exposed unacceptable gaps in the system,” Minister Cash said.
“While the government acknowledges that the majority of employers do the right thing by their employees, we will not tolerate exploitation in Australian workplaces.”
Professor Allans Fels will lead the new Migrant Workers Taskforce with Dr David Cousin as deputy chair for an 18-month term. The taskforce will meet four times a year, with the first meeting to be held on October 21.
“Professor Fels’ experience in this area will be a valuable asset to the taskforce, which is tasked with developing strategies across government to stamp out exploitation of vulnerable migrant workers,” Minister Cash said.
“We know that overseas workers are potentially more susceptible to exploitive practices, which is why we must introduce stronger measures to maintain the integrity of their working experience in Australia.”
Last month 7-Eleven said it had processed 227 claims under its new internal program, with more than $24 million in wage repayments approved to date.
Emigrate to Australia: Migrant protection
Measures of the new Migrant Worker Taskforce include Increased penalties for employers who underpay workers and who fail to keep proper employment records.
A new higher penalty category of ‘serious contraventions’ will be introduced, and will apply to any employer that has intentionally ripped off workers, regardless of the employer’s size.
Introduce new provisions that capture franchisors who fail to deal with exploitation by their franchisees.
$20 million funding increase for the capabilities and workforce of the Fair Work Ombudsman.
Strengthen the powers of the Fair Work Ombudsman so that it can more effectively deal with employers who intentionally exploit workers by compelling them to produce information and answer questions.
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