Malaysian Couple Has No Regrets Working As Fruit Pickers In Australia
After picking fruits for two years, the couple saves enough to open a restaurant.
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Wan Siti Hajar Wan Yaacob, 35, and her husband have immigrated to Australia for six years.
She said that she does not regret her decision to leave Malaysia.
The couple did everything they could to survive in Kuala Lumpur but earned barely enough to make ends meet.
So they decided to look for better opportunities abroad.
The New Straits Times reported Wan Siti Hajar was an Information Sciences Record Management graduate.
She was a public relations executive before moving to Melbourne.
However, in Australia, she was a fruit picker in a factory.
After picking fruits for two years, the couple saved enough to open a restaurant.
Wan Siti Hajar said they have been in business for three years, which is not without its challenges.
When they first arrived, they encountered many difficulties and did not know anyone.
The weather was extremely cold or hot, and sometimes it was so hot that people fainted.
Australia’s Work-Life Balance
Wan Siti Hajar pointed out that whether you are a worker or a professional, they pay you by the hour and every fortnight.
Everything is done systematically, even if you are working on a farm.
They have their standard operating procedures; the staff are very disciplined.
If they start work at 8 am, they will be ready by 7.55 am, stop working at 5 pm, and the rest of the work continues the next day.
However, Wan Siti Hajar believes Malaysia is still the “best” place and hopes to find better opportunities in her hometown one day.
She said most Malaysians here are willing to return if they can get paid reasonably; she hopes to return and start a business when the economy recovers.
Wan Siti Hajar also hopes that more diverse job opportunities will encourage those working overseas to return to Malaysia.
How Much Does A Fruit Picker Get Paid In Australia?
The pay rate for a fruit picker in Australia can vary depending on factors such as the type of fruit being picked, the region, and the employment agreement.
Generally, most fruit pickers in Australia are paid based on a piece-rate system, where they are paid for the amount of fruit they pick.
According to the Fair Work Ombudsman, the minimum wage for casual fruit and vegetable picking employees in Australia is $25.41 per hour, including 25% casual loading.
However, many fruit pickers are paid on a piece-rate basis, which means they are paid a certain amount for each kilogram or bin of fruit they pick.
The piece rate varies depending on the type of fruit, with some fruits being more difficult to pick than others.
https://t.co/IrLWuKUTAH
— Bea Eschen (@bestsellerblume) July 31, 2021
Sebastian, a young gay guy, breaks out of his everyday life & takes up a job as a fruit picker in Australia. He gets to know the country in all its facets; from the rigid Australian court system to the depths of the Aboriginal spiritual world. pic.twitter.com/ghhCoI9DjF
As a rough estimate, the Fair Work Ombudsman suggests that fruit pickers could earn between AUD24 (RM72) and AUD30 (RM90) per hour based on a piece-rate system.
But this can vary greatly depending on the specific fruit and the farm they are working on.
It’s important to note that fruit pickers in Australia are entitled to certain rights and protection under Australian law.
They include minimum wage rates, workplace health and safety standards, and the right to join a union.
Not A Bed Of Roses
There have been reports of exploitation and mistreatment of foreign workers, including those from Malaysia, in various industries in Australia, including the agriculture and fruit-picking sectors.
These reports include allegations of workers being forced to work long hours in harsh conditions for low wages, sometimes well below the legal minimum wage in Australia.
I met a young man in Malaysia who had been hired by a Labour Hire Firm to pick fruit. After deductions for accom, food, transport to work site, water on work site, access to electricity & well below accepted pay rates, he was out of pocket. Australia the pariah under #LNP?
— Revd Andrew Klein ( Chaplain) (@KleinRevd) August 25, 2022
The Australian government and various organizations have addressed these issues and improved conditions for foreign workers.
These include stronger regulations, enforcement measures, and initiatives to raise awareness among workers and employers.
In 2019, 33,000 Malaysians entered using tourist visa and later applied for asylum in Australia.
— Mebert (@c1t0d0s1) October 17, 2021
That’s more than the number of foreigners our government plan to bring in to Malaysia! Who said our people are not interested in farm works? It’s the pay!https://t.co/9Gx25bPRNi
If you or someone you know is a victim of exploitation or mistreatment as a foreign worker in Australia, resources are available to help.
The Australian Government’s Fair Work Ombudsman provides information and support for employees, including those on temporary visas, who may be experiencing workplace issues or mistreatment.
Additionally, several organizations provide legal assistance and advocacy for workers in Australia, such as the Migrant Workers Centre and the Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA organization.
“Australia is primarily a destination country for people trafficked from Asia, particularly Thailand,Korea, the Philippines & Malaysia. Australia’s slavery, slavery-like and human trafficking offences are set out in Division 270 and 271 of the Commonwealth Criminal Code Act 1995”
— (((Anne ODonoghue))) (@immsollawyers) January 2, 2022
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