What is labour exploitation, and how common is it among migrant workers in Australia? How do you recognise the signs and respond to labour exploitation? What culturally and linguistically appropriate services are available to migrant workers experiencing labour exploitation?

People born overseas and working in Australia are disproportionately likely to face exploitation at work due to factors such as a lack of familiarity with Australian workplace laws, language barriers and prohibitive visa conditions. Wage theft affects two in every three migrant workers, and one in every four will experience other forms of labour exploitation such as discrimination, sexual harassment, and unsafe work. Labour exploitation also has significant flow-on effects to health, wellbeing, and social and economic participation.

This training session equips community leaders and community service practitioners with essential knowledge and skills to respond to potential instances of labour exploitation among migrant workers in their community or practice. 

Who is this training for?

This training is for migrant and refugee community leaders, community service practitioners, bicultural workers, and other people interacting with migrant workers.

Course content

The training session aims to provide essential skills in identifying and responding to signs of labour exploitation of migrant workers, including:

• Key definitions, concepts, and frameworks
• Risk factors in labour exploitation among migrant workers
• Recognising signs of labour exploitation and other workplace issues
• Common barriers to seeking support for industrial issues among migrant workers, and techniques to overcome them
• Referral pathways for migrant workers experiencing labour exploitation

Learning outcomes:

• Increased understanding of:
  • Types of labour exploitation and other workplace issues
  • Prevalence and impact of labour exploitation among migrant worker communities
  • Links between visa status and visa classes and labour exploitation
• Increased confidence to identify and respond to potential instances of labour exploitation
• Increase awareness of free and confidential information and support services

Facilitators:

• Gabriel Dain (Project Organiser, Migrant Workers Centre)
• Florence Dato (Community Organiser, Migrant Workers Centre)

Click here to download a factsheet about this training session.

MWC "Solidarity Hour" series

Objective and format

The MWC "Solidarity Hour" series aims to build capacity in migrant communities and community service organisations to address issues related to labour exploitation among migrant workers. They are short online sessions facilitated by expert trainers. The sessions include group discussion, Q&A, and hand-out resources.

Why train with the Migrant Workers Centre?

MWC is a leading organisation in migrant workers' rights. It is the only service of its kind in Australia, offering free and confidential case management support to migrant workers experiencing workplace issues, and leading research and advocacy for migrant workers' rights in Australia. Our education program delivers critical information on workplace rights to thousands of migrant workers every year, and builds capacity in migrant communities by training and employing community leaders as Bicultural Educators. 

Custom training sessions

We can design custom sessions to meet the needs of your community or program participants. If you have any questions or would like to discuss organising a session, please contact Alba Khouri, Project Support Organiser ([email protected]).