The ABS reported the number of people employed increased by 19,600 people to 10.988 million, seasonally adjusted, in March.

The rise in employment was driven by a rise in full-time employment, up 30,100 people to 7.691 million that was offset by a fall in part-time employment, down 10,600 people to 3.297 million. This was the seventh consecutive month Australia has seen a rise in the number of people employed full-time.

The number of people unemployed increased in March, up 4,200 people to 619,100, the ABS reported.

The ABS seasonally adjusted monthly aggregate hours worked series showed a fall in March, down 10.0 million hours to 1,541.2 million hours.

The ABS reported the participation rate in March was 65.1 per cent.

The delegation, headed by Labor Undersecretary Rosalinda Baldoz, former administrator of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), will comprise representatives from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), and DOLE officials for international labor affairs and labor studies.

They will visit Adelaide, Perth, Sydney and Cairns.

POEA is the Philippines’ peak agency that regulates the hiring of Filipinos for overseas employment. OWWA provides programs that look after the welfare of expatriate Filipino workers. TESDA sets standards and provides the official certifications for technical skills.

The demand for certain categories of Filipino skilled workers prompted the Philippine Department of Labor to study a systematic and streamlined procedure for providing temporary stay workers for the Australian market, as well as to set into place the programs and services that will look after their welfare. #

The Workplace Ombudsman says the treatment of one male and two female 457 visa-holders was nothing short of shabby.

“There were times when these vulnerable workers did not have enough money to put food on the table,” Workplace Ombudsman Executive Director Michael Campbell revealed.

Mr Campbell says the migrant workers were treated unconscionably by a Sydney-based labour hire agency, which deliberately underpaid them more than $15,000.

“When they asked about their wages, they were fobbed off with false promises and threats,” he said.

Mr Campbell said the case highlighted a serious dereliction of duty by Healthcare Recruiting Australia and its sole director Michelle Lloyd.

Lloyd and her company have been fined a total of $48,000 in the Federal Magistrate’s Court for four breaches of the Workplace Relations Act.

Mr Campbell says the company withheld the workers’ entitlements for more than a year after workplace inspectors identified the underpayments.

He says the company unlawfully deducted significant sums of money from their wages for training that was never provided, for rent, agency fees and airfares.

“The workers have told how there were times when they were living on the charity of others and felt ashamed they could not pay their rent,” he said.

“They were upset and frustrated and their treatment was obviously a very difficult time both financially and emotionally.”

HRA placed the three workers at two Sydney nursing/aged care facilities in 2005 and 2006 where they provided residents with personal care and assisted them with showering, dressing and eating.

However, Mr Campbell says HRA failed to pay full wages, casual loadings, penalty rates and holiday pay and made unlawful deductions without the workers’ consent.

He described the case as very serious and said the court penalty should serve as a warning to other recruitment companies bringing in migrant workers.

The Philippine Consulate General in Sydney welcomed the ruling of the Federal Magistrate’s Court.

Consul General Maria Theresa Lazaro said: “We are pleased with the outcome of the case and we are very appreciative of the efforts and the assistance extended by the Workplace Ombudsman to the affected Filipino nurses.”

The Workplace Ombudsman has investigated more than 400 matters relating to 457 visa-holders over the past two years, recovering more than $1.3 million in underpayments for overseas workers. / Workplace Ombudsman
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