ਵਿਕਟੋਰੀਆ ਦੇ ਸ਼ੇਪਰਟਨ ਇਲਾਕੇ ਵਿੱਚ ਕੰਮ ਕਰਦੇ ਫਿਜੀਅਨ ਭਾਈਚਾਰੇ ਵਿੱਚ ਪਿਛਲੇ ਛੇ ਸਾਲਾਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਚੌਦਾਂ ਮੌਤਾਂ ਹੋ ਚੁੱਕੀਆਂ ਹਨ। ਮ੍ਰਿਤਕ ਖੇਤਾਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਆਰਜੀ ਕੰਮ ਜਾਂ ਦਿਹਾੜੀ-ਜੋਤਾ ਕਰਦੇ ਸਨ। ਇਹਨਾਂ ਮੌਤਾਂ ਪਿੱਛੋਂ ਖੇਤੀ ਸਨਅਤ ਵਿੱਚ ਕਾਮਿਆਂ ਦੇ ਹਾਲਾਤ ਬਾਰੇ ਤਫਤੀਸ਼ ਦੀ ਮੰਗ ਜ਼ੋਰ ਫੜ ਰਹੀ ਹੈ।
Read this story in English:
Members of Shepparton's Fijian community tend to a floral tribute at an orchard on the regional Victorian city’s outskirts.
The flowers mark the location where 52-year old Jone Roqica, a former international rugby player, collapsed and died while picking apples last month.
Dave Raulini was Mr Roqica's cousin and he sponsored him to Australia.
“He was supposed to have his day off that day and this contractor rang and said they can go and pick apples at this other farm. He has to send money so he needed to go and work and pick apples that day and that was the day he passed away,” he said.
Alison Rahill from the Salvation Army says the sector has separately been dogged by allegations of exploitation of foreign seasonal workers.
"Beatings, the withholding of wages, the withholding of passports the threats and intimidation they are all slavery like practices and they are certainly happening now in Australia,” she says.
Many around Shepparton in Victoria’s vast Goulburn Valley are Fijian – and say false promises and poor conditions are not uncommon.
31-year old Fijian national Waisake Fanua, says he was approached by a “middleman” and promised a picking job but the conditions were misrepresented.
"I lived in a caravan that was supposed to be for one person and 4-person was living in there."
Mr Fanua claims his pay amounted to around half what he was promised so he quit, accusing the manager or “middleman” of “duping” him.
"I was very angry with him because every morning he would be telling us to go out and work hard and whatever you get at the end of the week just be happy with it.”
The alleged “middle man” denied sourcing labour from Fiji ... underpaying workers or misrepresenting living and working conditions in Australia.
Jone Roqica lived and worked on a property near Shepparton - owned and operated by Steve Vigliaturo.
The 3rd generation farmer believes he treats workers fairly and conditions on his property are adequate.
We provide normal “barracks” like a caravan toilets showers with amenities. It’s pretty basic but it’s only for 3-months.”
SBS is not suggesting his living or working conditions contributed to Mr Roqica's death following a suspected heart attack.
But deaths of overseas labourers have only heightened the scrutiny on the sector, which has faced allegations of poor nutrition, overwork and underpayment in recent years.
Ms Rahill suggests more exploitation is taking place than what has come to light.
“There are definitely slavery like practices happening in a number of high risk industries in Australia. I think what I’ve seen is only the tip of the iceberg”.
