Tongan workers under the Seasonal Worker Programme claim they are being financially abused by their employers.
The workers, who spoke to Kaniva News on condition of anonymity, said they were suffering the same plight as ni-Vanuatu SWP workers whose story was reported in the Australian media last week.
The Tongan workers provided documents which appeared to show that large deductions were being made from their pay.
The Tongan workers’ complaint echoes claims made by seasonal workers in Bundaberg, Queensland, who said they had little money left after deductions were made.
The ABC reported that a group of ni-Vanuatu workers had met with a lawyer to air their grievances.
One worker told the ABC that hundreds of dollars were deducted from his pay each week for expenses, including accommodation and transport to work on farms.
He said he had barely had enough money to send home and then had none for himself.
The workers complained about their living conditions at backpacker hostels, where they said kitchen and cooking facilities were broken and they had to deal with outbreaks of bed bugs.
Australian lawyer Stewart Levitt said the workers treated “as if they are slaves in our land.”
The workers have called for reforms, including additional support on farms to help them better understand their work agreements.
Desperate for pay rise
Tonga Australia Seasonal Workers Association (TASWA) president Falepaini Maile said today Tongan seasonal wanted to know why a pay rise announced by the Australian government could not start immediately.
Maile said Tongan workers were desperate for the pay rise.
From April 28 employers will have to pay an hourly minimum of $25.41.
Maile said Tongan workers were facing a host of problems caused by being stranded in Australia due to the Covid-19 pandemic, including marriage breakdowns and being exploited by unscrupulous employers.
Union groups have pressured the government for years to properly regulate the Pacific workers’ programme.
Meanwhile, the Samoa Government is demanding a report from the Seasonal Worker’s Division over alleged mistreatment of Samoans workers in Australia.
