'Slave labour' on working holiday scheme 'isolated' but for Hong Kong victims recourse is available, says Australia's envoy

Exploitation of those who combine work and holiday while visiting Australia is "isolated" and those who are underpaid should immediately complain to the authorities, the country's top diplomat in the city said.

A task force set up to tackle allegations of underpayment under the working holiday scheme, which drew 11,667 young people from Hong Kong last year, has compelled some employers to compensate their holiday-making staff.

The scheme allows travellers aged 18 to 30 from selected countries to take short-term employment while holidaying in Australia for up to 12 months. But earlier this year Australian media reported cases of some being grossly underpaid and forced to work long hours in factories and farms.

The conditions were described as "slave labour", with Hongkongers among those allegedly exploited. Referring to the reports, Paul Tighe, the Australian consul general to Hong Kong and Macau, said: "We regret that it happened. Everybody is meant to receive Australian standards of salaries and work under Australian conditions.

"It's an unfortunate reality that not everybody practises the way they should."

People could register complaints with the Fair Work Ombudsman or the Department of Immigration and Border Protection, he said. The two agencies set up a joint task force in June.

Tighe said some employers of complainants were made to pay the young workers the amount of money they were owed. "We acknowledge there are some issues, but we'd like to think they are relatively isolated," he said, adding that the working holiday scheme remained a success and young Hongkongers were encouraged to keep going to the country.