The national workplace watchdog has labeled as reprehensible the exploitation of three Filipinos recruited as nursing assistants in Sydney. The Workplace Ombudsman says the treatment of one male and two female 457 visa-holders was nothing short of shabby.
“There were times when these vulnerable workers did not have enough money to put food on the table,” Workplace Ombudsman Executive Director Michael Campbell revealed. Mr. Campbell says the migrant workers were treated unconscionably by a Sydney-based labour hire agency, which deliberately underpaid them more than $15,000.
When they asked about their wages, they were fobbed off with false promises and threats,” he said. Mr. Campbell said the case highlighted a serious dereliction of duty by Healthcare Recruiting Australia (HRA) and its sole director Michelle Lloyd.
Lloyd and her company have been fined a total of $48,000 in the Federal Magistrate’s Court for four breaches of the Workplace Relations Act. Mr. Campbell says that the company withheld the worker’s entitlements for more than a year after workplace inspectors identified the underpayments. He says the company unlawfully deducted significant sums of money from their wages for training that was never provided, for rent, agency fees and airfares.
“The workers have told how there were times when they were living on the charity of others and felt ashamed they could not pay their rent,” he said.
“They were upset and frustrated and their treatment was obviously a very difficult time both financially and emotionally.”
HRA placed the three workers at two Sydney nursing/aged care facilities in 2005 and 2006 where they provided residents with personal care and assisted them with showering, dressing and eating.
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