Ni-Vanuatu seasonal workers brought a case to the Federal Court alleging they were subjected to persistent sexual harassment. They hope it will bring change for other women.
A case brought to the Federal Court by 12 Pacific Islander female workers alleges the group was subject to persistent sexual harassment .
The glasshouse's transparent walls let heat and light in to encourage growth, but for Lia and other workers, it felt like a place shrouded in secrecy, where intimidation and abuse was rampant.Lia says she and the other workers were left devastated by the alleged abuse. They also say the PALM scheme has extra protections that many other temporary migrants don't have — and that if other visa holders had them, many more cases would come to light.Documents filed in the Federal Court and seen by the ABC allege the workers were subjected to repeated harassment.Among dozens of accusations, the first man is alleged to have approached one woman while she was picking fruit and forcibly put his hands down her pants.
"But when we were in Australia, when this harassment was taking place … most of the women were scared.The women say it was delegates from the United Workers Union who helped inform them of their rights and empowered them to speak up against the alleged abuse.In the court documents, Perfection Fresh says it launched an investigation after being made aware of the allegations against the first man.
"I have to balance myself, not to bring shame to my family, my community, and I kept quiet until all the girls were talking ." "One of the biggest factors that we've found that exacerbates exploitation is the fact that migrant workers often don't report mistreatment when it occurs," she says. "They were telling me as we were walking towards the courthouse, it was scary because we were in another country, going into the courthouse to speak with lawyers and speaking another language."There is hope the case can prove a turning point for the protection of migrant workers, and not just those in the PALM scheme.
Seasonal Work PALM Pacific Australia Labour Mobility Scheme Federal Court United Workers Union Sexual Harassment Sexual Assault Perfection Fresh Sexual Abuse
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