Work in Progress 2019 A forum on migrant workers’ rights in Australia
Where: Migrant Workers Centre – Meeting Room #1, Trades Hall, 54 Victoria St., Carlton When: Tuesday 30 April 2019, 6-8pm
The annual forum presented by Nomit INC in collaboration with the Migrant Workers Centre is aimed at raising awareness on these issues and promote a fair labour environment for all the workers in Australia.
The weaknesses of some categories of workers are widening in Australia, strongly impacting the whole society and undermining some fundamental principles that are the basis of an egalitarian community that respects the rights of all its members.
Migrant workers and visa holders, including international students, have the same workplace rights as all other workers in Australia. Yet a recent survey conducted on 4,332 temporary migrant workers found “increasing evidence of widespread exploitation of temporary migrant workers, including wage theft” (Wage theft in Australia. Findings of the National Temporary Migrant Work Survey, by Laurie Berg & Bassina Farbenblum). Half of all temporary migrant workers may be underpaid.
More so, the Migrant Workers Taskforce Report (march 2019), established by the Government to protect vulnerable workers, has highlighted a ‘culture of un- derpayment’ and the ‘shady practices of rogue labour contractors’ towards migrant workers in Australia (Anthony Forsyth).
Agenda: • MC – Anthony Forsyth (RMIT University)
Opening remarks – Matt Kunkel, Director, MWC • Workers’ labour rights in Victoria
– Gabrielle Marchetti (JobWatch) • MWC’s experience of advocating migrant workers
– Wallace Huang (MWC) • “Unsavoury Employer Practices: Understanding Temporary Migrant Work in the Australian Food Services Sector”
– Joo-Cheong Tham (UniMelb Law) • Q&A
– NOMIT’s internship search app – Fabrizio Venturini Vice-President, NOMIT & Charlie Chiu (software engineer)
– Closing remarks Light refreshments
Nomit Inc. (Italian Network of Melbourne) Inc. is a not-for-profit organization based in Melbourne. We support a new generation of migrants and promote contemporary ways of integration of migrant communities in Australia.
The Migrant Workers Centre (MWC) is an organising centre that works with migrant workers to unleash the collective power of community to win dignity and respect at work
Free event, RSVP: info@nomit.com.au
Media Enquiries: info@nomit.com.au
Matteo Salvadego – 0421 849 934