Recent revelations point to serious exploitation of those brought over under the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme. All these issues highlight the dire conditions that many engaged in seasonal agricultural labor in Australia experience. As pointed out by James Cockayne, New South Wales anti-slavery commissioner, the most egregious of such situations is the most blatant exploitation of workers. He points to the immediate need for greater reform and protections within the scheme.
The PALM scheme brings in more than 30,000 workers annually to Pacific Islander countries. It delivers vital workers to Australian farms and crucial remittances to the Pacific Island economies of its workers. Yet, according to testimony and reports, hundreds of workers face bracing challenges once they land. Moe Turaga, who came to the United States from Fiji in 1988, shares his own powerful narrative of exploitation.
Once Turaga got to Australia, authorities seized his passport. They told him he had some sort of debt for his travel and visa costs and he needed to pay that. He then accepted a position on his regional grape farm in Victoria. Through this opportunity, he was able to get out of debt and provide for his family in Guatemala.
Turaga’s story is not unique. Ethel, a committed participant in the PALM scheme, began her story on a cacao farm in far north Queensland. Yet, she was out the door within four months due to the tough working conditions. She used to work fruit-picking on farms in rural New South Wales under the sun and extreme heat for long hours. Tragically, Ethel fell off a tractor while working in Leeton, sustaining severe injuries that left her with permanent scars on her leg.
Ethel’s job life turned upside down when she got pregnant, making her status as a withdrawn worker all the more exasperating. Fifth-generation farmer Justin Davidson in Leeton, who has been using seasonal workers for years, argues zealously on behalf of more robust protections and job placement assistance for people who have dropped out of the PALM scheme.
Davidson understands how critical these workers are to our ag economy. He urges the need for practical, long-term solutions for the industry.
“I think everyone can acknowledge it is a problem and we need to address it; it’s not sustainable,” – Justin Davidson.
Ken Dachi from Welcoming Australia has called for greater flexibility within the PALM scheme. This amendment would do more to protect individuals like Constantino Waowao, who cannot return home because his life is endangered by threats stemming from his sexual orientation.
“I’m gay, I will never go back; if I go back they will kill me, that’s why I’m here,” – Constantino Waowao.
The palm oil exploitation encountered by non-engaged PALM workers has resulted in calls for the introduction of Australia’s modern slavery legislation. Cockayne further points out that workers who have already dropped out of the labor market or are on its periphery are often severely exploited. This exploitation can rise to heights that mimic modern slavery.
“At the margins, we see people, particularly when they disengage from the scheme, becoming very, very vulnerable to very serious exploitation,” – James Cockayne.
Paul Maytom, an advocate for farmworkers’ rights, underscores the inconsistencies between the rights afforded to these workers and the reality they face.
“We have a process that clearly upfront says that you have the same rights as Australian workers but yet that [an unfair dismissal] can happen,” – Paul Maytom.
Yet he laments how most workers today are stuck in a system of debt and devastation. They don’t have the cushion of coverage or support to escape.
“The people that I’ve worked with over the last 18 months are people that either don’t have enough money because they’ve got sick or they got injured and there’s no cover,” – Paul Maytom.
Ethel puts a compassionate face on the struggles experienced by so many of her coworkers.
“If we go back to Solomon Islands in five months, we have nothing because they give us more deduction,” – Ethel.
Moe Turaga tells this story, elaborating why for most workers, coming home without economic security is not a viable option.
“They’re not going home with a bit of shame because if these guys go home with no money to their families and if they’ve been debt-bonded — if they’ve borrowed money to come over — that can be fatal,” – Moe Turaga.
The Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR) has acknowledged these difficulties for disengaged PALM workers. Engaging these young Australians and getting them back on their feet continues to be a key focus for the Australian Government,” said a spokesperson.
“Addressing PALM worker disengagement is a priority for the Australian Government. Wherever possible, the Australian Government seeks to support the re-engagement of disengaged PALM workers,” – DEWR spokesperson.
Advocacy for the protection of PALM workers continues. Labor, communities of color, and many other stakeholders are calling for these systemic changes to create equity and safer working environments. The current situation exposes obvious holes in protection and points to a disturbing and likely widespread pattern of exploitation of temporary migrant labor in Australia.
