Asian Women at Work have released a booklet to expose the unfair working conditions migrant women workers are subjected to by some employers in Australia.
Cries from the Workplace was launched at Parliament House on 8 April by NSW Minister for Women, Ms Verity Firth and features the stories of twenty Asian women workers exploited by employers in Sydney.
“We want this country to do better when it comes to looking after people who are struggling at the bottom end of society”, says Hong Nguyen from the Asian Women at Work Action Group.
“We want our stories to be part of the discussions and debates on a new industrial relations system in Australia. We do not want to be forgotten. We didn’t believe such exploitation could happen in Australia. We never expected this to be part of our new life here,” said Ms Nguyen.
One of the women featured in the booklet wrote, “My pay and conditions are very low. I only get $11 an hour even though I start working at 3am in the morning… I wish we could receive lawful wages and conditions and the boss could treat us with respect and dignity. We only get 30 minutes for lunch and no tea breaks and rest breaks. We should have tea breaks and rest time. We are not machines. We can’t work like robots.”
Production of the booklet has been funded by Revesby Workers Club, the Uniting Church for Development Fund and the SEARCH Foundation, through Asian Women at Work Inc.
Amanda Jackson, from the Uniting Church Fund says, “the stories in this booklet will make readers feel uncomfortable because they show how many migrant women in our city are underpaid, bullied and exploited. I hope the dignified voices of these women will be heard and their call for equality and a fair go is answered.”
Asian Women at Work is very active in the Fair Wear Campaign, a worldwide movement to end the exploitation of workers in the clothing industry. The booklet, Cries from the Workplace is available from Asian Women at Work.
AAP
