Pacific Islander workers in Australia are walking off farms and job sites because they feel mistreated and voiceless under a system she describes as “modern slavery”, a woman has claimed.
Australian South Sea Islanders Port Jackson president Emelda Davis says the voices of Pacific workers are being ignored and the silence is pushing some to abandon their jobs in search of better conditions.
“People only abscond if they are mistreated or unhappy, they should have the right to speak up,” she said.
Ms Davis said some workers, including those from Fiji and Vanuatu, had resorted to cash-in-hand construction work just to survive, after leaving farms or placements assigned through the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme.
She said those who left were branded as absconders and risk deportation under strict visa rules that tied them to one employer.
“Workers from places like Fiji and Vanuatu should have the same rights as other Australians,” she said.
“No one should be forced to work for an employer they don’t want to.”
She blamed the current visa system for leaving workers vulnerable to exploitation by labour hire companies that profit from controlling contracts.
In a statement, a spokesperson from the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations said the government was working to improve the program.
They said the number of workers leaving the PALM scheme had halved in recent years, from 10 per cent in 2020–2021 to five per cent in 2023–2024.
“A special taskforce has also been created to find out why workers are leaving and how to support them,” the spokesperson said.
“Workers or community members with concerns can call the PALM scheme helpline. The government takes all complaints seriously and has zero tolerance for mistreatment.”
But Ms Davis insists more needs to be done.
“The system needs real change. These workers deserve freedom, dignity, and a voice,” she said.
Meanwhile the Minister for Employment, Productivity and Workplace Relations Agni Deo Singh says the ministry will issue a response over the next few days.
