The Fair Work Ombudsman is launching a new crackdown on unscrupulous employers in an Australia-wide campaign amidst fears thousands of international students may be facing workplace exploitation.
The agency is encouraging international students to speak up if they face exploitation at work. Fair Work Ombudsman Natalie James says despite making up a large proportion of temporary visa holders in Australia, international students may be reluctant in seeking assistance.
Ms James says there have been instances wherein students were made to work for very little or no pay. She says some students had been subject to intimidation by their employers, who threatened to deport or “blacklist” them for future work if they complained.
“I would like to reassure international students that in line with an agreement between my agency and the Department of Immigration and Border Protection, you can seek our assistance without fear of your visa being cancelled, even if you’ve worked more hours than you should have under your visa.”
In an open letter to international students in Australia, Ms James has asked international students to be aware of their workplace rights.
She has emphasised that they have the same workplace rights as any other worker in Australia. She has also assured students that the FWO and the DIBP will be able to offer them some protections even if they are in breach of their visa conditions.
“The number of international students reporting issues to the Fair Work Ombudsman is disproportionately low compared to other categories of visa holders, despite the fact that international students represent a significant proportion of overseas visitors with work rights,” Ms James said.
“We know that international students can be reluctant to speak out when something is wrong, making them particularly vulnerable to exploitation. This is especially the case when students think that seeking assistance will damage future job prospects or lead to the cancellation of their visa.
“We’ve seen cases where employers have threatened international students with deportation for working more than the number of hours permitted under their visa when they have raised questions about their entitlements.
“In some cases, these same employers have altered payslips and underpaid hourly rates in order to disguise the number of hours the student has worked,” Ms James said.
“I would like to reassure international students that in line with an agreement between my agency and the Department of Immigration and Border Protection, you can seek our assistance without fear of your visa being cancelled, even if you’ve worked more hours than you should have under your visa.”
Ms James says despite a low number of students reporting workplace issues, the FWO has a large percentage of cases in court involving international students, which she says reflects the seriousness of the agency against exploitation of students.
International students seeking assistance can visit www.fairwork.gov.au or call the Fair Work Infoline on 13 13 94 or our Translating and Interpreting Service on 13 14 50.
