Alison Caldwell reported this story on Monday, October 17, 2011
ELEANOR HALL: The Federal Government has responded to the recent revelations about human trafficking and sex slavery in Australia by announcing new funding for an information campaign for workers in the tourism, cleaning and construction industries.
Just under half a million dollars will go to five non-government organisations for projects which target employers and workers to raise awareness of labour exploitation, as Alison Caldwell reports.
ALISON CALDWELL: In recent months federal authorities have identified an increasing number of labour trafficking victims in industries other than the sex industry.
Brendan O'Connor is the Federal Minister for Justice.
BRENDAN O'CONNOR: There has been evidence to show that other sectors of our economy also have to deal with this challenge. We are still fortunate in that there is still a relatively low level of human trafficking, but one person trafficked into this country to be exploited is one person too many and that's why the Gillard Government is dedicating resources not only to law enforcement and prosecutions and to support victims but also to engage industry to help us combat this issue.
ALISON CALDWELL: So what sort of areas are we talking about when you say in other industries?
BRENDAN O'CONNOR: Sure, other industries including construction, agriculture, hospitality. We are seeing efforts by some unscrupulous employers to exploit people, to exploit their precarious situation in that they are not here legally and of course, to then use that coercively against them to exploit them to get effectively cheap labour.
ALISON CALDWELL: The funding of $486,000 will go to five NGOs, including the Australian Red Cross.
It will help to identify and combat labour trafficking among Indian 457 visa holders in New South Wales and Victoria by producing an information leaflet in the major Indian languages.
The Australian Hotels Association will also receive funding for an information campaign in hotels across the country.
BRENDAN O'CONNOR: The Australian Hotels Association is looking to create and distribute an information brochure to 5,000 hotels around the nation on how to legally employ overseas workers and manage the visa process.
ALISON CALDWELL: Wouldn't it be a concern that it is the employer who is taking advantage of the situation?
BRENDAN O'CONNOR: Well, I think firstly most employers of course do the right thing and they would be, I'm sure happy to disclose if any of their competitors are treating people unlawfully and inappropriately. So we call upon all good employers to help us.
ALISON CALDWELL: Another beneficiary is an NGO called Asian Women at Work, a Sydney-based group which aims to empower Asian migrant workers who experience significant injustice and exploitation.
Its membership includes 1,800 migrant women in Sydney's outer west including restaurant workers, factory workers, cleaners and outworkers.
Angela Zhang works with the Chinese community; she's a part-time employee with Asian Women at Work.
ANGELA ZHANG: We have six branch which is in the Auburn, Hurstville, Bankstown, Blacktown, Cabramatta and inner-west. We are the big job is to encourage migrant working women and stand up for their rights.
ALISON CALDWELL: This funding that is being announced today, it is only about $480,000 to five different NGOs. You're just one of them. At best maybe $100,000 for an information campaign; will that be useful to you?
ANGELA ZHANG: Yeah, yeah, if we got this money we will employ someone only a few hour and they can do especially for this job.
ALISON CALDWELL: Information?
ANGELA ZHANG: Yeah and maybe also we can work with the ombudsman, also another union, we work together to help them.
ALISON CALDWELL: The Federal Government originally allocated just $200,000 using assets confiscated from criminals, but decided to double the funding.
ELEANOR HALL: Alison Caldwell reporting.
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