Lisa Chesters (Bendigo, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Workplace Relations) Share this | Hansard source

'Vulnerable workers' is a term that's bandied around a lot. In fact, there was a bill called the Fair Work Amendment (Protecting Vulnerable Workers) Bill 2017. But what has the government done to really address this growing area? We have had ombudsman's report after ombudsman's report and we have had media story after media story exposing worker exploitation and the extent of it in this country. Just to name one, we had the Fair Work Ombudsman report Inquiry into the procurement of cleaners in Tasmanian supermarkets, which found:

… the rates of pay … being offered by sub-contractors to supermarket cleaners were in some cases up to $26 below the applicable hourly rate.

This is happening on your watch, Minister. What we want to know is: what are you actually doing to help increase the resources to the Fair Work Ombudsman to make sure that all of these issues are being investigated? While those cleaners' horrible experience of worker exploitation was exposed, what is the government doing to ensure that all supermarket cleaners are not being exploited in the same way? What is the government doing to ensure that big names like Spotless are not sub-subcontracting?

Here we have another example of worker exploitation—Myer's contract cleaners at Bourke Street Mall. I know quite a few people have probably visited the Myer shopping centre. The lowest paid workers in that particular establishment are the cleaners. Myer subcontracted to Spotless. Spotless then subcontracted to another subcontractor, and that subcontractor made those cleaners get ABNs. What is the government doing to ensure that those workers are not being forced to take out ABNs? This government spruiks a lot about the growth in small businesses. Just how many of those small businesses are cleaners or workers who've been forced to get ABNs to become their own 'small business'? It's not something to be proud of if, within your figures about the number of small businesses in this country, there are employees who have been forced to get ABNs: 'Take out an ABN or you don't get the job.' That is the reality for so many of these vulnerable workers, particularly in contract industries like cleaning.

The cleaning industry is a really good example to use. Eighty per cent of the cost of cleaning is labour. Therefore, if you can force your workers to take out an ABN and become their own 'small business', guess what? You save a lot of money, and you have the ability to undercut your competitors. We've heard boo from this government. We've not seen them actually stand up to companies like Spotless and Myer and say, 'What are you doing to address these issues?'

It is not just happening in cleaning, as I said. We continue to have huge problems when it comes to agriculture and our farming sector. Last week I had the opportunity to meet with some strawberry growers who directly employ their staff, and they talked about their frustration with strawberry growers in their region who deliberately underpay their workers and therefore can sell their products to Coles more cheaply.

Mr Laundy interjecting—

Yes, they have. I'll take the interjection from the minister. When these strawberry farmers ring the Fair Work Ombudsman, they get the busy signal. Then they hear: 'You can't make a complaint. The worker needs to make a complaint.' This is a worker who gets threatened with deportation if they raise the issues. And the minister says: 'Just give us a call. Bring these workers here.' This is a strawberry farmer who is saying: 'My competitor down the road is ripping people off. I tried to contact the government, and nothing happens.'

Honourable members interjecting—

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