On The Land
3 March, 2025
Calls to protect hort workers
A NEW report from the McKell Institute has called for the Federal Government to expedite protections for labour hire workers in Australia’s horticulture sector.
The McKell Institute report was commissioned by Woolworths and the Retail Supply Chain Alliance - an alliance of trade unions in the fresh food supply chain. Together, the three organisations are advocating for national regulations to improve oversight of labour hire agencies in the horticulture sector.
The report, Licencing Labour Hire, highlights the regulatory gaps in the labour hire industry, with a focus on regional and seasonal farm work where workers reported wage theft by labour hire providers, poor working conditions and mistreatment.
It found 50% of labour hire workers in the sector earned less than $50,000 annually, with many being seasonal migrant workers with restrictive visa conditions.
“Low quality regulatory frameworks in the labour hire industry have seen rogue operators take advantage of loopholes, exploit workers and undermine the industry,” McKell Institute chief executive officer Edward Cavanough said.
“While most providers operate ethically, a small but harmful group continues to exploit vulnerable workers. The establishment of a regulator is long overdue when it comes to protecting workers and ensuring ethical practices are enforced.
“Farmers and horticulture businesses are being let down by a system that allows a handful of bad actors to undermine the sector. This needs to change.”
Australian Workers’ Union secretary Paul Farrow said workers deserved better.
“Fruit pickers deserve safety and fair wages and right now the system is still failing them,” he said.
“Too many dodgy labour hire outfits are able to easily circumvent our standards and rip off PALM workers who should be respected as guests in our country.
“The AWU has battled hard against wage theft and worker mistreatment in farms but we still have a long way to go. We need a strong national regulator with real enforcement power, and we need it now.”
Key recommendations from the Licencing Labour Hire report include the establishment of a dedicated enforcement team for horticulture within the National Labour Hire Regulator; more sustainable funding for rural and regional enforcement, including workplace inspections; a national database to prevent rogue labour hire operators from re-entering the market; and regular audits and public reporting to improve transparency.
The report urges the Federal Government to accelerate the rollout of the NLHR by December 2025 to prevent exploitative practices, and ensure it has the right resourcing to protect horticulture workers.
