Worker on 457 visa alleges she was ‘enslaved’, paid $3 an hour at Grampians hotel
The case involves the alleged exploitation of a woman from the Philippines employed on a skilled migrant visa.
The woman, Maricar Virata, says she was “deliberately enslaved” because she was employed to work nearly 100 hours a week for as little as $3 an hour.
Ms Virata has presented claims to the commission that both she and her partner were paid just one wage of $55,000 that was meant to be for 40 hours a week of work at a Grampians hotel.
However, she alleges the pair were expected to both work 14-16 hour days, six days a week, in the 51-bed establishment.
She claims they were earning $3 to $5 an hour when other Australian workers were being paid up to $30 an hour on weekends, and that when they complained, they were sacked.
Ms Virata’s claims before the commission include that the couple:
WERE told not to talk or make friends with other workers;
WERE told they had to “submit, follow and obey everything” if they wanted to keep their jobs;
WERE not paid overtime, holiday pay, shift loadings and were not given pay slips; and
WERE “deliberately enslaved”, abused and exploited because of the financial situation they were put in by their employers.
Legal action is now under way against the hotel owners.
Ms Virata is being assisted by Migrante Australia, a migrant support service.
Campaigns co-ordinator Berline Guerrero said this was the first time they had come across allegations of this kind of abuse of “enslaving” workers with no compensation.
She said the case “may just be the tip of the iceberg”.
ACTU president Ged Kearney said the case showed the temporary visa system was “broken”.
“We are hearing more and more cases of exploitation and abuse of workers on temporary visas, yet the Government wants to make it even easier for employers to bring in workers on 457 visas through free trade agreements like the deal with China,” she said.
A worker at the hotel said the managers were on leave and not available for comment.
However, a termination letter sent to Ms Virata says she was dismissed because of misconduct. A confidential conference will be held at the commission on the issue.
Source: Herald Sun - Melbourne, Susie O'Brien, July 19th 2015
Originally published as: Worker on 457 visa alleges she was ‘enslaved’, paid $3 an hour at Grampians hotel
