Disagreement over pay conditions for Tongan workers
Updated
It's been under way for less than a week, but already, the Australian government's new Pacific Islands Seasonal Labour scheme has run into trouble. A disagreement has emerged between the labour hire firm which is contracting the 50 Tongans who arrived last week and the Australian Workers Union.The Union had negotiated an employment agreement which classified the Tongans as permanent employees. But it now appears they'll be employed as casuals.
presenter: Jeff Waters
Speakers: Seasonal Labour contractor, Joe Fangaloka
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JEFF WATERS: The 50 Tongan seasonal labourers who are now working almond farms in the Murray Valley have walked into an industrial relations storm.
Before the scheme began, the Federal Government rejected critical submissions by several unions and decided to engage the Australian Workers Union, which didn't object to their plan, to negotiate a deal for the new foreign workers.
That framework agreement, which was drawn-up with the peak body representing labour-hire firms, saw the seasonal labourers given all the rights of permanent employees, even though they'd only be in the country for seven months.
But their new employer, the Tree Minders labour hire firm says the men will only be employed as casuals. And if there's no work to be done, they won't be paid.
Joe Fangaloka is a member of the family which runs Tree Minders.
JOE FANGALOKA: Yeah even in our own company we don't actually have in over 100 staff there's not one union member. So initially we had a bit of trouble with the unions, they wanted us to employ these workers under a permanent status, which is like unheard of. There's no growers that would be willing to pay somebody to sit around at home. You know if there's no work, there's no work.
JEFF WATERS: The company has given the AWU access to the men. In fact, one of their first engagements was to be briefed by the union.
UNION REPRESENTATIVE: If an Australian was doing your job, they would be getting the same pay and conditions that you're doing now. So it's very…
JEFF WATERS: But the AWU is fighting an uphill battle. Unlike Australia, Tonga has no real union tradition.
UNION REPRESENTATIVE: And we're just hoping that you guys consider joining the union. We've done a lot of work for you while putting this stuff together.
JEFF WATERS: It's also still unclear if an initial promise to guarantee a 30-hour week will be honoured.
Joe Fangaloka says the men are being treated the same as any other seasonal labourer in Australia.
JOE FANGALOKA: They're working under the same conditions as the Australian workers are working. If there's rain; everybody understands the sort of climate that we have out here. If it's a really hot day, they knock off and go home and they don't get paid.
If it's wet, there's no work. And that's what we were expecting to have; these overseas workers working the same conditions that everybody else in the area.
