Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

Judi Lynn

(162,361 posts)
Sun Jun 28, 2015, 10:53 PM Jun 2015

Australian “Free Range” Chicken Company Alleged to Use Exploited Labor

Australian “Free Range” Chicken Company Alleged to Use Exploited Labor
by Pratap Chatterjee, CorpWatch Blog
May 11th, 2015

Baiada, one of Australia’s biggest poultry producers, has been accused of using labor contractors that under pay and exploit foreign visitors on temporary work permits. The company sells Steggles and Lilydale Free Range Chickens to supermarket and fast food chains like Aldi, Coles, KFC and Woolworths.

Australia has a temporary “working holiday” visa system designed to help young people from 19 different countries subsidize up to a year of travel in Australia. Today unscrupulous employers have taken advantage of this so-called “subclass 417” visa system to employ an estimated 150,000 low wage migrant workers from Hong Kong, Japan and Taiwan as well as from Europe.

“They are lured into a (travel) agency. The agency, for a cost, sets up the trip. They set up the accommodation when they get here. And they set them up with work when they get here on the promise that all is going to be well,” Tony Snelson, National Union of Workers, told Four Corners, an investigative program on Australian Broadcasting Corporation television.

“It's not an Australia that we would put on the tourism brochures,” Joanna Howe, a senior lecturer at the University of Adelaide law school told the TV station. “There's a whole lot of working holiday makers performing low-skilled jobs - dirty, demeaning, difficult jobs - for which they get paid very little.”

More:
http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=16025


3 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Australian “Free Range” Chicken Company Alleged to Use Exploited Labor (Original Post) Judi Lynn Jun 2015 OP
"temporary “working holiday” visa system designed to help young people" BlueJazz Jun 2015 #1
Probably will be allowed when TPP is agreed on. HooptieWagon Jun 2015 #2
Baiada have had a bad name for years. Matilda Jun 2015 #3
 

BlueJazz

(25,348 posts)
1. "temporary “working holiday” visa system designed to help young people"
Sun Jun 28, 2015, 11:08 PM
Jun 2015

Nothing says a Fun-Filled vacation like cleaning chicken shit and guts.

I'm ashamed the country I was born in is starting to turn into a greedy pack of selfish, non-caring humans.

 

HooptieWagon

(17,064 posts)
2. Probably will be allowed when TPP is agreed on.
Sun Jun 28, 2015, 11:08 PM
Jun 2015

Can't have wages cutting in to profits, you know. <sarcasm>

Matilda

(6,384 posts)
3. Baiada have had a bad name for years.
Tue Jun 30, 2015, 09:21 PM
Jun 2015

There have been many television current affairs and news items over the past few years about various aspects of their operations, which all add up to a huge question mark about their ethics. There has been at least one death at their factory that appeared to have been a result of a combination of poor safety regime and overworking employees.

But nothing is ever done about it.

Makes you think somebody, somwhere is getting a payoff.

Latest Discussions»Region Forums»Australia»Australian “Free Range” C...