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Secretary of labour and employment Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz said Australia’s Fair Work Commission Chia Tung, which has construction projects in Narabrie and Naora, New South Wales. The 10 overseas foreign workers were deployed to Chia Tung by Yang Wa, a local recruitment agency licensed by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration.
“The workers in the project sites complained and their complaint reached the Fair Work Commission, which is now investigating the company,” said Baldoz.
“The Fair Work Commission is Australia’s national workplace relations tribunal,” said Baldoz. “It is responsible for maintaining a safety net of minimum wages and employment conditions, and exercises other regulatory functions."
Labour attaché Rodolfo Sabulao wrote in a report that Chia Tung management put the workers in better accommodation in response to their complaint. The management also planned to repatriate them to the Philippines but was advised that the workers had a right to seek a new sponsor in Australia, and that any forced repatriation before a grace period of 90 days would be a violation of Australia’s immigration law.
“We have also contacted the Philippine recruitment agency and informed it of the workers’ complaints, including the illegal dismissal and the plan to repatriate the workers. Yang Wa promised to send a representative to Australia to assist the workers,” Sabulao added.
In the meantime, the official said he had advised the workers to send work applications to Trevor Whiting, chief executive officer of JTC Manpower Services based in Perth for possible reemployment.
“I also instructed them to send the copies of their employment agreement with Chia Tung to a local union, which has taken up the cudgels for the workers and is negotiating with the Taiwanese construction firm,” he said.
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