Farm work: FNQ Growers respond to sexual harrassment claims

The peak FNQ farming body has urged victimised seasonal workers to seek safe farms in the wake of allegations of sexual assault and harassment at a Tablelands property.

THE peak FNQ farming body has urged victimised seasonal workers to seek safe farms in the wake of allegations of sexual assault and harassment at a Tablelands property.

Queensland Farmers Federation director and FNQ Growers chairman Joe Moro said “bad apples” were tainting the reputation of Far Northern farms.

“We have a zero tolerance for people that do that sort of thing,” Mr Moro said.

“There are 900 farms on the Tablelands and every year there are one or two that have been prosecuted and we need to do that.”

He said employees with concerns about their farms should contact Fair Work.

“They need to get in touch with Fair Work to take further action if required,” he said.

“Those employees come expecting a positive life experience abut will instead see it in a light that is horrific.

“We need to be frank about this; they should get out of those places as quickly as they can.

“The fear on their part is that they will not be able to get a second visa.”

He said seasonal workers should seek farms that were registered to either the Fair Farms or Sedex codes of conduct. Sedex — the Supplier Ethical Data Exchange — is an international ethical trade membership organisation, which, like Fair Farms, holds members to a code of ethical conduct.

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Fair Farms includes 22 participating farms in Far North Queensland. The organisation does not have enforcement powers for its code of conduct, and has not received any complaints about farms in FNQ.

“We are about providing awareness, educating and giving a pathway for growers to demonstrate that they are doing the right thing, through a certification system,” Fair Farms national program manager Marsha Aralar said.

Ms Aralar said the organisation was working towards a “critical mass” of Fair Farms-compliant properties and promoting a list of approved businesses.

A Fair Work Ombudsman spokeswoman said workers who had been abused or exploited should contact the Fair Work Infoline on 13 14 50.

“The Fair Work Ombudsman has an agreement with the Department of Home Affairs where visa holders with work rights can ask for our help without fear of their visa being cancelled,” she said.

More information can be found at www.fairwork.gov.au

Originally published as Farm work: FNQ Growers respond to sexual harrassment claims