Exploitation of Foreign Students in Australia, from Sexual Harassment to Non-Payment On Page all

KOMPAS.com – Of Australia, foreign student being subject to exploitation by being paid cheaply and sexually harassed.

It is rare among those who bring their cases to court.

Reported by the University of New South Wales (UNSW) and the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) which states that there have been no significant changes in the conditions of foreign students in the world of work in Australia since a similar survey was conducted 4 years ago.

Corona virus outbreaks even worsen exploitation. Professor Laurie Berg of UTS who wrote the survey report said the current potential for exploitation is even greater.

“International students are now more desperate to get income, employers may want to reduce costs, and jobs are increasingly scarce,” Professor Berg explained.

Also read: Aftermath Alleged Allegation of Sexual Abuse of UII Alumnus, 2 Petitions Circulating in Australia

Paid 7 Australian dollars per hour

Iris Yao, a Sydney University student from China, has been working while studying to help ease the burden on her parents.

“My parents worked hard to pay my tuition and living expenses here,” Iris told the “7.30 Program” ABC.

“I feel I have to do something to ease their burden,” he said.

Iris’s work such as cleaning the kitchen, washing dishes, served in the food ordering section, with a wage of only 7 Australian dollars per hour paid in cash.

According to the provisions, these payments are three times less than the minimum wage for workers over the age of 20.

“They said if I could work better, it would pay me more. But, I think they were lying,” he said.

According to Professor Berg, Iris’s experience is not uncommon.

“Cases like Iris are common in international students, who are underpaid, because that is the work available to them,” he said.

“They are also reluctant to question this,” said Prof. Berg.

Student visa provisions in Australia allow foreign students to work up to 20 hours per week.

The UNSW and UTS surveys involved 6,000 foreign students from 103 countries with half of the students claiming to be paid less than the minimum wage.

More than 25 percent said they were paid 12 Australian dollars per hour or less.

In addition, students from China experienced the worst conditions, with 54 percent of them claiming to be underpaid.

Also read: Amidst the Tensions, China Laws Off Drug Traffickers from Australia

(He asks for a kiss.)

Not only are paid cheaply, foreign students who work while studying are also very vulnerable to sexual exploitation.

As experienced by Paula, a student from Brazil, who came to Melbourne to study business management.

To “Program 7.30” from ABC, Paula claimed to have experienced sexual harassment at work.

“He asked for a kiss and also my underwear,” he said.

“I reject his desire to try to use me sexually. I also want my money that has not been paid,” said Paula.

“He then tried to punish me, threatening to give my job to a new employee,” he said.

Paula then quits the job, but claims to be pressured to hide what she is going through.

“He talks big as if he’s an important person, has many connections, and constantly threatens to report me to Immigration,” Paula said.

A similar experience was experienced by Talita, who also came from Brazil.

Talita claimed that her senior colleague tried to kiss her and offered to pay for sex.

Talita even reported this to her employer.

“He tried to kiss me. He bit my lip,” he said.

“I tried to run away, but he kept chasing. He said, you need money, I’ll give you as long as you stay with me,” Talita explained.

He lost his job and returned to Brazil after the incident.

Talita is back in Melbourne now and is determined to make her dream of becoming a chef.

Also read: As a result of the Racist Incident, China Warns Students Before Selecting Studies in Australia

Sues to court

Some students claimed to be afraid to tell their stories through the media.

According to Professor Berg, there is impunity among employers that makes foreign students choose to remain silent.

“These international students are far from home, most of whom live alone, are not familiar with the Australian legal system and are, unfortunately, very vulnerable to employer exploitation.”

One of the foreign students who brought his case to court was Jonathan, a civil engineering student from China.

“My wages of 6,000 Australian dollars have not been paid according to the penalty rate rules,” he told ABC.

He took two months before finally getting the difference in the lack of salary.

However, another student, Jin, who brought his case to be tried by the Fair Work Commission, was still trying to get three years of salary shortages.

“The amount is around 10,000 Australian dollars,” Jin told ABC.

He works for a promotional company in a tax-free shop at Sydney airport.

To Fair Work, Jin claimed to do the same work as retail workers who were directly employed by retailers, but the pay was different.

However, Jin’s employers argue that their employees are not regulated by the salary system according to the penalty rate.

Fair Work has also told Jin that they cannot investigate Jin’s report and 16 other employees.

Fair Work said that it took months to determine the scope of the penalty rate payroll system, including having to conduct field visits and interviews.

“In the current Covid situation, we cannot conduct field visits or interviews. Also the company has been closed and may not be reopened in the future,” said a letter from Fair Work.

Jin’s former employer claimed to have paid his staff according to legal provisions.

Also read: Viral Photos of Naked Couples on a Gardening Day Without Clothes in Australia

Pension funds are not paid

Another exploitation of foreign students in Australia is the pension fund that is not paid by employers.

This was revealed in the report SBS News, about a Colombian student named Andres Puerto who has a Masters degree in business information systems.

He works in a cafe and bookstore and, like other temporary visa holders, has the right to withdraw his pension early.

To SBSAndres claimed to have lost his job and planned to withdraw his pension.

He only realized that he did not have a pension fund at all after receiving a notification from the Australian tax office (ATO).

It turns out that Andres’s employer never deposited a pension fund of 3,500 Australian dollars (around Rp. 34 million) during his two years of work.

Andres claimed to have contacted his employer directly who promised him payment. I do not know when.

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