Migrant workers have the same rights as Australian workers. They can earn the standard rate of 18.29 dollars per hour and even earn more than that if they have specific types of skills or qualifications.
Fair Work Ombudsman's Media Director, Mark Lee said that "it is very important to find out about your rate of pay, your awards and your job entitlements from www.fairwork.gov.au or call 13 13 94 to talk to its advisors.
It has information about pays, employee entitlement, awards and agreements, terminating employment as well as leave in 36 different languages. This site also have a pay calculator tool for people to calculate how much should they get paid after answering some questions.
Last but not least, it has a complaint form in 16 different languages that people can reports any issues if they believed that they are being exploited by their employers or those rights are not respected without fearing that they will be disclosed to third parties. And there are also free interpreting services which that can access through the Translating and Interpreting Services website at https://www.tisnational.gov.au/.
Mr. Lee also added that it is workers' responsibility to check with the Department of Immigration and Border Protection https://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Visa-1 if their visas allow them to work or if they are entitled to work in Australia before the are working.
However, Fair Work Ombudsman's Media Director Mark Lee said that due to the lack of knowledge about Australia workplace laws, awards and pay system, migrant workers are being exploited in Australia. But they are afraid to report these issues to Australian authorities because their employers might cancel their visa or send them back to their homeland.
Mark Lee from the Fair Work Ombudsman and the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU)'s construction division National Secretary Dave Noonan said that "Australian employers cannot cancel migrant workers' visas or send them back to their homeland as it is unlawful". And if employers were caught, they will be prosecuted accordingly. Therefore, both of them would like to encourage workers to report or complaint to Australian authorities if they experience unsafe workplace, bullying and exploitation.
7-Eleven is one instance which has been reported exploiting its workers especially migrant workers by underpaying them. But after this issue is reported to Australian authorities, 7-Eleven has been ordered to repay 150 million dollars to those workers it has underpaid.
Listen to more news in Hmong and in English from the following websites:
Listen to Hmong weekly program on Thursday at 6 pm AEST (Australian Eastern Standard Time) or on Sunday at 11am AEST at www.sbs.com.au/hmong
Or you can download podcasts both in Hmong and in English or listen to more news at: www.sbs.com.au/podcasts/yourlanguage/hmong
You can download SBS Radio app from Google Play and App Store for your smart phone and listen to Thursday 6pm AEST or Sunday 11 am AEST program on your phone at http://www.sbs.com.au/radio/article/2015/03/07/download-sbs-radios-free-mobile-app
Or if you want to check the frequent questions asked about SBS Radio app, please check http://www.sbs.com.au/radio/sbs-radio-app
Follow SBS Hmong at SBS Hmong Facebook page, click like us, share SBS Hmong news to your friends and comment about stories or our program at: www.facebook.com/sbshmong
Or if you would like to share your story with SBS Radio Hmong Program, please contact +61 3 9949 2259
You can also listen to SBS Radio Hmong Program through radio frequencies at http://www.sbs.com.au/radio/listen-amfm-radio
Listen to us on digital TV on channel 38.
