Qld Government forewarned of growing seasonal worker crisis

The former Chairman of Bundaberg Fruit and Vegetable Growers, Allan Mahoney, was a part of a state government inquiry into wage theft, but says little was done to address the issues raised.

Bundaberg’s Allan Mahoney knows wage theft and labour hire issues all too well, after spending years trying to fight against criminals targeting vulnerable workers.

The former Bundaberg Fruit and Vegetable Growers Chairman was a part of a 2018 public inquiry into wage theft in Queensland.

The inquiry was designed to examine the incidence of wage theft in Queensland; the impact of wage theft on workers, businesses, the economy and community; the reasons why wage theft is occurring; the effectiveness of the regulatory framework; and options for ensuring wage theft is eradicated.

Bundaberg Fruit and Vegetable Growers chairman Allan Mahoney appeared on Australian Story discussing backpacker welfare in 2018, and shared his testimony in front of a state public inquiry into wage theft.

During the inquiry four years ago, which was published as a transcript, Mr Mahoney outlined that a number of stakeholders were working to “stamp out” exploitation within the farming industry.

“The positives start within horticulture with the Fair Farms Initiative. It is a Growcom initiative that has been pushed out nationally through the chain stores and supply chain,” Mr Mahoney said during the 2018 inquiry.

“This has been a great initiative that the industry groups have all got behind and supported through the Queensland Horticulture Council, Growcom, Bundaberg Fruit and Vegetable Growers, the Lockyer Valley, Mareeba, Gayndah and Mundubbera.

“This will bring into effect that the supply chain will not be able to use substandard paid workers.

“That is one way we are trying to stamp out exploitation within the industry.

“The other positive is the labour hire contractor registration which we think has quietened it down at the moment.

“We are not saying that it has fixed the industry, but it has definitely quietened down the rhetoric at the moment. We are not hearing it day in and day out. That has to be a positive to us.

CRIMINALS EXPLOITING VULNERABLE PEOPLE

“To be realistic, we wonder what steps the criminals are taking to further their own personal gain and exploit vulnerable people.”

In June this year, human rights advocate and Bargara businesswoman Amanda Slade unearthed evidence of Pacific Islander workers being ripped off by unapproved labour hire company, Urson Contracting, based in Victoria.

It’s alleged the contractor was making unauthorised deductions from workers' pays for a ‘protection visa’, after selling workers a $40 protection visa, which they did not require, for more than $2000.

Mr Mahoney said he, and other representatives at the inquiry, forewarned the government that criminals would come back to exploit workers.

“It’s so disheartening and disappointing to see that we’re in this situation that some of us predicted when the government panel was on,” Mr Mahoney told the NewsMail.

“We saw this as areas that could be abused, manipulated.

Allan Mahoney agreed that a royal commission must now be held into seasonal worker exploitation. Photo: Max Fleet / NewsMail

“It’s really disheartening to see Bundaberg as a city has not taken on the social responsibility to run programs for these workers, like after hours pastoral care.

“Our city, our region has so much to offer and yet we’d rather spend over a hundred million dollars on a water park.”

Growcom, whose CEO is former North Burnett Regional Council CEO Rachel Chambers, says their Fair Farms initiative is federally funded to deliver an ethical program for farmers.

“The Federal Government has funded Growcom to develop and deliver Australia’s first ethical labour program which focuses exclusively on the horticultural sector,” Growcom said in a statement.

Growcom claims Fair Farms offers assistance and support to businesses to reach compliance.

“The business is subject to an independent third-party audit to verify compliance,” it said.

“Matters covered in audit include but are not limited to employment of overseas workers, employment of minors and dealing with labour hire providers.”

HORROR STORIES FROM PACIFIC ISLANDERS

Throughout June and July this year, Pacific Islanders told the NewsMail horrific stories about unfair treatment from farmers and labour hire agencies within the Bundaberg region.

Mr Mahoney said he regularly raised similar issues with Fair Work Australia, but the laws weren’t enforced enough.

He says there ‘absolutely’ needs to be a royal commission into seasonal worker hire practices.

“We’ve got every rule and regulation already there, we just need the backbone, we need Fair Work Australia and Border Force to have backbone and know those regulations front to back,” he said.

The NewsMail approached current Bundaberg Fruit and Vegetable Growers Chief Executive Officer Bree Watson who said she “couldn’t comment”, saying the worker issues plaguing Bundaberg were a “DFAT & legal issue”.

There are no known legal proceedings in place regarding exploitation of seasonal workers in the region.