Migrant Workers Centre

Migrant workers in Victoria are sometimes treated like an underclass. We face language and cultural barriers, insecure employment arrangements, discrimination and sometimes precarious visa arrangements. These things make us vulnerable to bad employers.

The Migrant Workers Centre helps migrant workers in Victoria connect with other migrant workers, understand our rights and get empowered to enforce them.

The Migrant Workers Centre can:

  • Educate workers about issues regarding workplace safety and rights
  • Assist workers from emerging communities to address problems they encounter at workplaces
  • Collaborate with community partners to organise events and grassroots campaigns focusing on workplace rights for migrants
  • Bridge language barriers that limit workers’ access to information
  • Promote workplace rights on our own media platforms, as well as mainstream and ethnic community media outlet

New Campaign Campaigns

  • International students ripped off by Novus Services Group!
    We came to Australia to try to build better lives for our families back home. The money Nick owes us would have gone to Daniel’s son’s education. Daniel spent two years away from family to earn money and learn skills to give his son a better chance at having a good life. Now those dreams are shattered. Nick Krest and Novus Services Group must be held to account. Novus cannot be allowed to continue to use wage theft as a business model.
    242 of 300 Signatures
    Created by Daniel and Tatiana
  • We need a proper health response
    The ban prevents temporary migrants who have recently been in China from travelling to Australia. This approach is not backed by the World Health Organisation. The Coronavirus doesn't know your visa status. We need a proper health response. This ban discriminates against international students and workers on temporary visas who can't return to their communities. Many of those affected have lived in Australia for years and call this country home. Temporary migrant workers are more likely to be in insecure work, have less access to paid leave and there has been no consideration of the hardship this ban will create. People stand to lose their jobs, their ability to pay for rent and there will be ongoing impacts on visa eligibility into the future. The Migrant Workers Centre supports all temporary visa holders and will offer assistance to those whose employment has been impacted. Sign up here to call on Scott Morrison to end the ban 近日，澳洲政府决议禁止所有非澳洲籍公民及持永久居民签证者，並且有中国大陆旅游史的旅客入境。这措舉并不符合日前世界卫生组织針對新型冠狀病毒所發布的规章。新型冠状病毒并不认得个人是持有 何種簽證。我们要的是更严谨的防疫措施。 澳洲政府此項规定，不僅是政策歧视國際學生，更让所有持证短期签证的劳动者，无法返回工作职位。 很多无辜受遭殃的旅客都居住在澳洲很多年，他们也称澳洲为他们的家。多数短期移工签证者在澳洲，工作都极为不稳定，都沒有休假給付；这个政策的祭出，完全没有考虑到这一群签证持有人的难处。他们极有可能失掉工作，未来可能面临付不出房租的窘境；甚或是对签证资格造成影响。 所有的外籍人士短期移工签证者，若因依該政策导致工作权利受到影响，移工中心将会进行协助。 请支持该份连署要求斯科特·莫里森下架禁飞令。
    5,852 of 6,000 Signatures
    Created by Migrant Workers Centre
  • Josh Frydenberg must meet with migrant workers
    The 1.1million migrant workers left behind by Josh Frydenberg aren't just a statistic. We have families, we are part of the community, we live here. If Josh sat down with migrant workers, he might understand that locking us out of JobKeeper is making people homeless, forcing us to choose between begging or starving. For many of us, going home is simply not an option because there are no flights or borders are closed. We are stuck without a job, without support from the Government, and losing hope.
    219 of 300 Signatures
    Created by Migrant Workers Centre
  • KFC: Don't take jobs away because of visa status!
    Peter Dutton and the Federal Government has already made life very hard for people seeking asylum. We’ve seen years of cruel indefinite detention, insecure temporary protection visas, and cuts to refugee and asylum seeker assistance programs. Corporate behemoths like KFC don’t need to make it even harder through hiring practices that discriminate against workers who are currently seeking asylum.
    241 of 300 Signatures
    Created by Migrant Workers Centre
  • Extend JobKeeper To All Workers #NoWorkerLeftBehind
    A few weeks ago, he ruled out giving migrant workers a wage subsidy, saying a line had to be drawn somewhere. Now, with an extra $60 billion to spend, the Morrison government is out of excuses. How can Josh Frydenberg condemn over a million workers to starve when the Government has $60 billion in its back pocket? Don’t worry if you’ve never emailed a politician before, or if you’re not sure what you say. All you need to say is that you’re calling on the Morrison Government to expand their wage subsidy, and talk about what it would mean to you. If you’ve lost your job due to COVID, you can write about the challenges you’re facing, and what it means if you’ll be able to pay rent, buy groceries and support your family. If you haven’t lost work or you are eligible for support but want to write a letter to Josh Frydenberg in solidarity, you can share what expanding JobKeeper will mean for people you know or in your community. It’s a critical moment and an opportunity to put pressure on the Government to expand their wage subsidy. We need to send a strong message to Josh Frydenberg about what this could mean for over a million workers. Migrant workers and casual workers who do the same jobs should receive the same support, especially in times of crisis.
    19 of 100 Signatures
    Created by Migrant Workers Centre
  • 新型冠狀病毒：確保所有勞動者都取得特殊狀況給薪假
    所有在澳洲工作的勞動者，我們站在一起，我們不把任何人屏除在外。 現在，在澳洲有330萬個勞動者並沒有辦法拿到給薪假，而這是32%的全國勞動人口。 如果這些人生病了，卻沒有病假或是被迫自主隔離在家，就沒有收入。 我們不能再等了，已經有人被迫自主隔離而失掉主要收入。 我們要求莫里森政府保證，給所有的勞動者兩周特殊給薪假。 現在就連署，讓所有因為新冠肺炎而受到影響的勞動者取得兩周特殊給薪假。
    89 of 100 Signatures
    Created by Migrant Workers Centre
  • Don't privatise our visa system!
    This work should be done by public servants who are highly trained and experienced, not private companies who just want to make a profit. Time and time again the Liberals put profits before people and the good of our nation. You can’t trust the Liberals with our public services. Tell the Liberals that you don’t want to see Australia’s immigration system become more expensive and more difficult for migrant families like mine – sign the petition now.
    49 of 100 Signatures
    Created by Josephine
  • ¡Estudiantes internacionales estafados por Novus Services Group!
    Vinimos a Australia para tratar de construir mejores vidas para nuestras familias. El dinero que Nick nos debe se habría destinado a la educación del hijo de Daniel. Daniel pasó dos años lejos de la familia para ganar dinero y aprender habilidades para darle a su hijo una mejor oportunidad de tener una buena vida. Ahora esos sueños están destrozados. Nick Krest y Novus Services Group deben rendir cuentas. No se puede permitir que Novus siga usando el robo de salarios como modelo de negocio.
    26 of 100 Signatures
    Created by Daniel y Tatiana
  • 日出茶太快還錢!
    背包客、國際學生、短期技術簽證等短期移工的簽證持有人， 要求更完整的法律保障! 我們要求公義! 短期移工簽證合法簽證，享有與任何一個澳洲人同等勞動權。 我們要求雇主賠償欠薪! 我們要求所有的不公義得到平反!
    84 of 100 Signatures
    Created by Sherry Huang
  • Monga Lounge, Pay Up!
    International students and all migrant workers are being ripped off far too often by dodgy employers. This is just a taste of what bosses should expect if they steal from international students and all other migrant workers including refugees, asylum seekers, working holidaymakers and temporary visa holders. It's stories like this that prove why we need to change the rules to stop endemic wage theft and stop dodgy bosses from ripping off all workers.
    70 of 100 Signatures
    Created by Wallace Huang
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