Minister for Employment, Productivity and Industrial Relations Semi Koroilavesau yesterday said complaints raised by seasonal workers from Fiji were being looked into by an Australian Fair Work Ombudsman.

“There are two companies in Australia that are now been investigated by the Fair Work Ombudsman after some workers raised their complaints,” Mr Koroilavesau said.

“Fair Work Ombudsman is an independent body formed by Australian government and is looking into this matter.”

The two Australian companies under probe employed 168 seasonal Fijian workers; one company employed 30 Fijians while the other company had 138.

Acknowledging many seasonal workers who have returned from Australia and were seated among the crowd, he said he had received complaints from workers who had not received their superannuation funds.

“One of the workers did complain that there was no record of his superannuation while some complained about working conditions,” Mr Koroilavesau said.

He said the results of the investigation would be submitted to the Australian government before releasing them to the Fijian government.

“This is our first time experience unlike other Pacific countries that had been in the programme for like seven to eight years,” he said.

“We are reviewing our processes and procedures about what we have done.”

Edited by Rusiate Mataika

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