Pacific Island workers feeling ‘trapped’, ‘exploited’ in meat industry

A new report has revealed some of the experiences that Pacific Island workers in Australia’s meat industry have gone through – highlighting a theme of darkness and injustice.

RMIT University has released a report that it believes has given a voice to the experiences of Pacific Island workers spread across Australia’s meat industry. The report, Meat the reality: unpacking the exploitation of PALM scheme workers in Australia’s meat industry, has called for improvements to the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme.

The scheme itself provides migrant workers with temporary visas to work in meatworks as well as other industries across the country that are experiencing labour shortages.

Professor Shelley Marshall from RMIT’s Business and Human Rights Centre (BHRIGHT), who conducted the interview with various workers in these roles noted that the majority of the discussions revolved around themes of darkness, injustice and feelings of being trapped.

“The participants in our study were sent to isolated rural towns, far from familiar faces, and placed in shared housing with strangers,” said Marshall.

“The photos hauntingly depict how they rarely see daylight due to physically demanding shifts, which are often extended with overtime, leading to an oppressive sense that their lives are consumed entirely by work.”

“At work, these workers are often burdened with lifting heavier meat – a demand fuelled by racial stereotypes about their strength – yet earn less than colleagues on other visa schemes. Outside work, they are stripped of the full tenancy rights enjoyed by most Australians and are forced to endure high rents that are automatically deducted from their wages.”

Co-author Ema Moolchand noted that these challenges were exacerbated by a condition in the workers’ visa, which required the employer’s permission for a worker to quit and seek work elsewhere.

“Dependence on employers – even if they are clearly bad bosses – remains a key source of feelings of being trapped and unable to do anything about poor conditions, especially when workers face racial stereotypes or restricted freedom that further limit their ability to act,” said Moolchand.

The report and researchers are calling for more to be done to improve conditions for PALM workers, with little improvements being made.

“As the first empirical study since important changes to the PALM scheme, this report highlights the need for a completely new approach to the scheme that genuinely prioritises worker voices and ensures fair, safe and dignified working conditions,” Moolchand said.

It was also alleged in the report that an attaché from each country had been appointed to support and represent these workers, yet the majority stated that they had never met them. Another allegation was the illegal deductions against the workforce were prevalent.

Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) president Michele O’Neil noted that the findings align with similar experiences that their members have gone through, arguing that the PALM scheme may have systemic problems rather than isolated incidents.

“This report adds a human voice to what we already know are significant and ongoing issues with a scheme that ties PALM workers to their employer; the lack of mobility for workers to change employers poses a clear modern slavery risk,” O’Neil said.

“Among the changes we are calling for, mobility for these workers is paramount, as it would mean they can move to another approved employer if they need to leave a bad boss, unsafe conditions or harassment.”

“This would mean employers could no longer treat PALM workers as bonded labourers.”