• November 15, 2024

Fiji Trades Union Congress national secretary Felix Anthony has raised a range of issues which the union hears about regarding Fijians working in the agriculture sector in Australia.

Speaking at a panel session on ‘Agriculture Pacific Power’ on Thursday at the Australian Workers Union national conference in Perth, Australia, Mr Anthony highlighted the issues.

He is also the national secretary of the National Union of Workers.

Mr Anthony said the issues were accommodation costs and below standard housing arrangements, new contracts, lesser hours than promised, unacceptable deductions, minimal pay, importance of productivity/work ethics, absenteeism – all of which are a result of lack of preparedness, information and understanding.

On what it was like for Fijian workers to be uprooted from their villages and go to Australia, he said it was a big change from how societies exist and develop in a Fijian context, saying they were the core of any Fijian’s existence.

He said agriculture workers were mainly farm-based or hailed from the rural sectors.

“Access to opportunities that exist in cities may be limited such as training and formal education as a priority,” he said.

“To make that shift and settle will take time and effort. Support mechanisms and structures must be in place to make this happen,” said Mr Anthony.

The AWU national conference was held from November 11-14.