The Australian Government confirms they are in contact with the Fiji Government on the allegations of exploitation, racism and bullying of Fijian workers under the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility Scheme, but for reasons of privacy and out of respect for individuals and their families, the Australian Government cannot comment directly on these allegations.
When questioned by fijivillage News, the Australian Government says they are aware of the allegations made in a post shared on Facebook and LinkedIn.
They say they take all allegations of worker mistreatment seriously and immediately investigate.
They add the wellbeing of Pacific and Timor-Leste workers in Australia is of the highest priority for the Australian Government.
The Australian Government says all Pacific and Timor-Leste workers participating in the PALM scheme have the same workplace rights and protections as Australian workers, and where breaches of Australian law are identified, these are referred to the appropriate authority or regulator.
They say PALM scheme workers or members of the community who have concerns about workers’ treatment, pay and conditions or welfare can contact the PALM scheme support line on 1800 51 51 31 or via PALM@dewr.gov.au.
We have asked further questions on whether the Australian Government can confirm whether a full inquiry is being done and when will the finding be made public, and what type of steps are underway to assess the serious claims of exploitation, racism and bullying.
fijivillage News is awaiting a comprehensive response to get to the bottom of these serious allegations.
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