Wage-theft ripping off a third of foreign workers, backpackers in Australia, study finds
- Many earned just US$8.50 an hour or less
- Survey received 4,322 valid responses from people from 107 countries who had worked in Australia on a temporary visa
The most comprehensive study to date of wage theft and working conditions among international students, backpackers and other temporary migrants in Australia has found almost a third earned A$12 (US$8.50) an hour or less, around half the casual minimum wage.
The survey also found large-scale wage theft was worst in fruit and vegetable-picking and farm work, where 15 per cent of workers earned A$5 an hour or less. Almost a third (31 per cent) earned A$10 an hour or less.
The findings were published in the report titled Wage Theft in Australia, published on Monday and written by senior law lecturers Bassina Farbenblum, from the University of New South Wales, and Laurie Berg, from the University of Technology Sydney.
The online survey was conducted between September and December 2016 yielding 4,322 valid responses from people representing 107 countries. It was open to anyone who had worked in Australia on a temporary visa and made available in 13 languages.
The analysis of the results shows that for every 100 underpaid migrant workers, only three went to the fair work ombudsman. Of those, more than half recovered nothing.