[Photo: File]
PALM workers’ conditions are under the spotlight after a new poll revealed strong support for job changes. Many Australians want greater protection for workers facing low
pay.
A new poll shows strong support for allowing them to leave employers who underpay them.
The Australia Institute poll of more than 2,000 people found more than two-thirds supported giving Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) workers the right to leave employers, according to the Australian Associated Press (AAP).
AAP reported that around 33,000 workers from Pacific countries and Timor-Leste are currently in Australia under the scheme.
Australia Institute research manager Morgan Harrington told AAP that some PALM workers are left with very little money after deductions for flights, visas, accommodation and
transport costs.
He said workers can be left with as little as $70 a week, creating a power imbalance between workers and employers.
Welcoming Australia’s Ken Dachi told AAP that some workers had shown him pay slips with very low earnings.
Dachi said he had seen workers living in overcrowded and poor housing conditions, with some sharing rooms and lacking basic facilities.
The poll also showed most people supported giving PALM workers access to Medicare and believed housing conditions needed to improve.
The PALM scheme provides temporary work opportunities for Pacific workers while helping them send money home to their families.
AAP reported that the scheme has grown significantly, with workers representing a large share of the working-age population in countries such as Tonga and Vanuatu.
