Safety for tens of thousands of Pacific islander workers in Australia as part of a labour scheme is a major issue with road accidents and exploitation key concerns.
The Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme benefited Australia and its participants, but it could be improved, Employment Minister Murray Watt said as he convened a roundtable with high commissioners from participating nations.
The scheme employs Pacific islanders in sectors including agriculture, horticulture and meat processing but there are concerns about worker exploitation, poor living standards and safety conditions.
Senator Watt is reviewing the scheme and looking at putting in place minimum accommodation standards and changing rules binding workers to their employers, which human rights groups say exacerbate the risk of exploitation.
“If someone feels trapped then they’re less likely to complain about incidents occurring,” he told AAP after the meeting.
Feeling like they couldn’t speak up because they weren’t able to leave put them at greater risk, he said.
While there is a minimum hour requirement of 120 hours over four weeks, “they emphasised the importance of coming out ahead and having some level of guarantee about the hours that were needed,” he said as he reviewed the number.
The federal government is considering its response to a report by the United Nations special rapporteur on slavery that included a recommendation PALM worker be allowed to change employers.
Companies have raised concerns about spending money on facilitating employment without a guarantee of a long-term worker.
Pacific envoys also raised concerns about a spike in road accidents among PALM workers, including fatalities.
Senator Watt has tasked his department to investigate, including how to better inform workers of Australian road rules and increase driver training.
There was widespread acknowledgement of the positive impacts the program had as well, including being a good source of income for low-paid Pacific workers and their families and an opportunity to expand their skill set, Senator Watt said.
Participants welcomed the federal government measures cracking down on exploitation and giving workers greater rights, he said.
“For all the challenges … it’s fundamentally a good programme for everyone,” he said.
“It was a very positive meeting and everyone attending recognised the value of the PALM programme for all of the countries involved.”
The minister flagged announcing changes before the federal election, which is due by late May.
