Dr Trudi Beck, a GP in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, has put out some alarming figures. These figures indicate the growing demand migrant women face for abortion access. At a recent public hearing of the inquiry in her home electorate of Griffith, she let slip an incredible admission. Each year, hundreds of women contact her, many in crisis as their work visas are extremely fragile. This research investigates the modern slavery risks faced by temporary migrant workers. It is particularly aimed at people employed in the agricultural, horticultural and meat processing industries throughout regional New South Wales.
Not only this, Dr. Beck continues his active practice serving 500 to 600 high-risk pregnant women annually. This further emphasizes the critical need for intervention among this at-risk population. She called the predicament a type of modern day slavery. Too often, women seek abortions not because they want one, but because they can’t afford to lose their place in the workforce.
“Specifically for visa workers, I would say 95 per cent of the time they would pick a termination, and not because of personal choice,” – Dr. Trudi Beck
The Role of Employers and Healthcare Access
Dr. Beck has actively approached employers with large numbers of Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) workers, urging them to assist in providing reproductive healthcare and education for women. Her advocacy emphasizes the need for greater awareness and resources for migrant workers who often lack access to essential services.
Paul Maytom, former Mayor of Leeton Shire Council, who was vocal during the inquiry. As chair of the Leeton Multicultural Support Group, he echoed Dr Beck’s concerns about lifting the cap. He told us heartbreaking stories of the inhumane living conditions faced by countless migrant families. His recent reflections on that reality are a poignant reminder of the difficult choices they often need to make.
“A baby two months old, lying on the floor with blankets over it, nothing else in a little room as big as a laundry with a mother and father.” – Paul Maytom
Maytom further observed that many migrant workers go into bad housing just to have a roof to stay under.
“Any accommodation is better than no accommodation,” – Paul Maytom
These statements underscore the urgent need for improvements in living conditions and support services for migrant workers in New South Wales.
Investigating Dodgy Labour Hire Practices
The question of whether temporary migrant workers are at risk of slavery has come under renewed interest. This follows ongoing worries over worker exploitation in the labour hire sector. That’s the problem very clearly articulated by Joe McGirr, committee chairperson. Moreover, nefarious equipers have entered New South Wales from other states, doubling down on exploitation of vulnerable workers.
“The evidence we’ve received is that shonky operators have left Queensland and Victoria and are operating in NSW,” – Joe McGirr
Berries Australia has further sounded the alarm bells about the surge in “shady labour hire companies” with ties to organized crime. They argue these companies engender an atmosphere of predation. This puts millions of workers at risk and is detrimental to the industry as a whole.
“NSW has become an attractive destination for dodgy labour hire companies who are often linked to organised crime,” – Berries Australia
Additionally, complaints have emerged indicating that a minority of producers working in concert with these companies intentionally pay their workers below-market rates.
“We are also aware of allegations that a small percentage of growers who work with these labour hire firms deliberately underpay their workers,” – Berries Australia
The nonprofit is pushing Congress to act now and fix these problems.
“We don’t think this can wait until we finish the inquiry at the end of this year,” – Joe McGirr
The Broader Context of Migrant Labor in Agriculture
The high export-intensive agricultural and horticultural production in the Riverina region is underpinned by the strong use of migrant labor. Most of these workers are from countries where peri-urban daily wages have been on average 90% lower than Australian standards. This imbalance perpetuates an exploitative landscape in which migrant workers are forced to accept dangerous and destitute conditions.
Dr. Beck highlighted that if these women had the financial means to live above the poverty line in their home countries, many would choose to carry their pregnancies to term.
“If this woman were in her home country and had the means to live above the poverty line, she would have this baby,” – Dr. Trudi Beck
The worker testimonies at this inquiry showed us a real need to make change and reform our labor practices. It’s time to do better for our New South Wales migrant worker communities.
