OVERSEAS students are earning as little as $5 an hour to work in restaurant and cleaning jobs across Adelaide, community leaders say.

Indian Australian Association of SA president Vikram Madan said more than 50 students had told him they were being underpaid over the past year, including some who getting as little as $5 an hour.

He said the problem was “endemic” and mainly affected students studying at vocational colleges and those without strong English skills.

“Our own Indian restaurants are exploiting some of these students,” Mr Madan said.

“Some have used people for two weeks and don’t pay them a dime.”

He said some restaurants encouraged students to work for free on a “trial basis” before telling them they were unsuitable for the job. Some were working for cleaning companies or as waiters and kitchen hands in restaurants in the city and western suburbs.

Mr Madan said students stayed in low paying jobs out of “desperation to earn some money to survive”.

Indian Community Radio chair Vinaya Rai said Indian, Chinese, Korean and Sri Lankan students had told her they were getting paid as little as $6 an hour to work in restaurants.

Many turned to Asian restaurants after struggling to find employment elsewhere, she said.

“They think if they complain or leave, they’re being ungrateful to that employer,” Mrs Rai said.

“They’re quite vulnerable and don’t know their rights or the system. They just want to settle in.

“I tell them to either make a complaint or use this experience to move on to a job somewhere else. If they don’t make a complaint, there’s not much we can do.”

Shady bosses keep using Indian students

OVERSEAS students working as part-time shop cleaners are being paid well below award rates, their union says.

Shady bosses are exploiting the mostly Indian students by paying them as little as $12 an hour compared with the going rate of $18.43.

The Weekly Times Messenger understands some cleaners are paid even less than $12 an hour.

Liquor Hospitality and Miscellaneous Union SA Branch Secretary David Di Troia said its organisers had discovered student cleaners, working under contractors in small to medium suburban supermarkets, being paid well under the award rate.

``The general trend is that the exploitation is targeted towards international students, or partners of students, in the suburban commercial cleaning sector who are employed by subcontractors and are on temporary visas,’’ Mr Di Troia said.

As well as underpayment, other issues included ``unpaid training and work, cash in hand work and inadequate health and safety’‘, he said.

The LHMU launched an ongoing campaign targeting underpayment in the cleaning industry in 2006, but says international students are easily exploited because of language barriers and a lack of understanding of their rights.

If the LHMU is handling the issue then the students are doomed to failure,
they would be better off forming their own union rather than relying on one of the weakest and most inept unions in the country.

To get a student visa you must demonstrate

"your capacity to cover the cost of air fares, course fees and living costs for the duration of your stay in Australia "


WITHOUT NEEDING TO WORK IN AUSTRALIA.



Evidentiary requirements
Key requirements include:
•
your capacity to cover the cost of air fares, course tuition fees and living costs for the duration of your stay in Australia. Your living costs in Australia are set at AUD18,000 pa. The period for which you must provide evidence of funds, the type of funds considered acceptable, and the savings period for funds may vary with your assessment level and education sector of study. Living costs are a minimum amount set for visa purposes. Living costs vary depending on where you will be living and studying. It is your responsibility to determine what your own costs will be to live and study in Australia. Even if you have permission to work you should not rely on work to support yourself in Australia as a student ;
•
your capacity to cover the cost of air fares, living costs and school tuition costs for your family unit members for the duration of your stay in Australia. Living costs for family members are set at AUD6,300 for your partner, AUD3,600 for your first child and AUD2,700 for each child thereafter. School costs are set at AUD8,000 pa. Except in very limited circumstances, you are required to provide this evidence regardless of whether your family members intend to accompany you to Australia;
•
demonstrating and/or providing evidence in your application that the funds you are relying on will genuinely be available to you during your stay in Australia.
•
your level of English language proficiency in relation to that required for your assessment level and education sector of study. Where an English language test result is required, it must be an ‘accepted test’ and you must sit this test prior to making your visa application;
•
the situation in your home country eg. personal or financial commitments that may prompt you to return to your home country;
•
your academic record and qualifications completed;
•
your immigration history eg. previous compliance with immigration laws and whether you have previously applied for entry to Australia.
Detailed information on requirements can be found on the department’s website.

http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/pdf/applying-student.pdf

Bobby. wrote on Sep 9^th, 2010 at 7:38pm:


The foreign students can't wait to come here to participate in the most enviable economy of the world

Bobby. wrote on Sep 9^th, 2010 at 7:38pm:


They're volunteers.

Deborahmac09 wrote on Sep 9^th, 2010 at 6:32pm:


So this is above the table?

I am not quite sure, how all this relates to Politicians Suck?

hi,
got to report and confirm similar is happening in good old Burwood, NSW. (Wog Central)
an example: one family run restaurant will hire a casual or back packer and the next week, they are gone. there is a hub of staff but they are mainly the family members.
every time trade goes down these casuals are gone.
any others that are kept on are family friends.
not that there's much wrong with this on the surface. but, in general, the food is second rate, the staff over service customers attempting to push more thru.
they stand on the street outside and try to grab ppl in.
i'd suggest that this place and a number of others hedge tax by, only list their family members as staff, paying these casuals cash - and not declaring it.
i now will only go there for coffee, 'cos it's cheaper and pretty good.
they lost me on the food when i arrived home the other night with stomach cramps -
third time's a charm.
Burwood has a corrupt inadequate council and mayor.
otherwise regular health inspection would be taking place.
j.