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Itinerant foreign harvest workers in Australia: the impact of precarious employment on occupational safety and health
Horticulture work in many high-income economies is increasingly performed by temporary migrant workers from low-wage economies. In Australia, such work is now performed predominantly by international backpackers – young well-educated workers with mostly sound English language skills. These workers are drawn to harvesting work by a government scheme which provides an incentive for completing a specified number of days work in horticulture. This article examines the health and safety experience of these workers, through focus groups, interviews and an online survey. Notwithstanding their distinctive backgrounds, the harvesting experience of these temporary migrant workers is similar to that of low-skilled migrants working in other high-income countries. Health and safety risks associated with work organisation and payment systems, and a lack of compliance with OHS legal requirements, are commonplace but potentially compounded by a sense of invincibility amongst these young travellers. Furthermore, a growing pool of undocumented workers is placing downward pressures on their employment conditions. The vulnerability associated with work and earnings uncertainty, and the harsh environment in which harvesting work occurs, remains a constant notwithstanding the background of these workers.
History
Journal
Policy and practice in health and safetyVolume
13Issue
2Pagination
25 - 46Publisher
Institution of Occupational Safety and HealthLocation
Leicester, Eng.ISSN
1366-1965eISSN
1477-4003Language
engPublication classification
C1 Refereed article in a scholarly journal; C Journal articleCopyright notice
2015, Institution of Occupational Safety and HealthUsage metrics
Keywords
Backpackerscontracting, horticultureoccupational health and safetypayment systemstemporary migrantsundocumented workersyoung workersScience & TechnologyLife Sciences & BiomedicinePublic, Environmental & Occupational Healthcontractinghorticultureoccupational safety and healthMIGRANT WORKERSIMMIGRANT WORKERSFISHING SECTORGUESTWORKERSFORESTRYLaw
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