The investigation, led by the Ministry’s Labour Inspectorate, was launched after the Ministry received a significant number of individual complaints, with some workers alleging they get paid the “Indian salary” of $265-a-week for up to 70 hours’ work.
The complaints also include allegations of:
- Workers not being paid any entitlements, such as holiday pay, public holiday payments or sick leave
- Workers being required to pay between $10,000 and $20,000 in order to remain in their job while they obtain residence
- Overcrowding conditions in accommodation provided for workers and illegal wage deductions for this accommodation