This Research and Policy Brief considers migration frameworks that would enable migrant workers to safely speak up, leave abusive employers without losing their visa, or temporarily remain in their country of employment at the end of their stay in order to recover the wages they are owed and hold abusive employers to account.
A case study of recent advances in the United States which enable migrant workers, including undocumented workers, to remain in the country for up to two years with work rights in order to pursue unpaid wages and other labour claims.
Led by the Migrant Justice Institute and Human Rights Law Centre, the Breaking the Silence proposal urges the Federal government to establish whistleblower protections that would enable migrant workers to report exploitation without risking their visa.
Migrant workers are routinely subjected to wage theft throughout the world. Most unpaid workers will never recover their wages because government and business systems fail them.
Submission to the Senate Standing Committees On Legal And Constitutional Affairs’ inquiry into the Australian Human Rights Commission Amendment (Costs Protection) Bill 2023 [Provisions],
Submission to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee, Inquiry into the Migration Amendment (Protecting Migrant Workers) Bill (2021)
Submission No 33 to Senate Select Committee on Temporary Migration Inquiry into the impact temporary migration has on the Australian economy, wages and jobs, social cohesion and workplace rights and conditions (2020)
Submission No 21 to Senate Standing Committees on Education and Employment Inquiry into the exploitation of general and specialist cleaners working in retail chains for contracting or subcontracting cleaning companies (2018)