No sweat

– Shaun Inguanzo
WORKCOVER officials will lead a crackdown on Springvale clothing manufacturers to weed out sweatshops and the exploitation of workers.
The rights of clothing-industry outworkers in Springvale will be the focus as WorkCover and Industrial Relations Victoria inspect businesses in Springvale, beginning this week.
WorkCover minister John Lenders said some clothing outworkers were grossly underpaid and were the most vulnerable people in the community.
“They are mostly migrant women from non-English-speaking backgrounds and they often earn wages as low as $3.60 an hour,” he said. “They can work long hours in unsafe work conditions and suffer chronic underpayment or non-payment of wages.”
Mr Lenders said outworkers were entitled to the same rights as any workers.
“By law, outworkers must receive minimum award entitlements for the work they do and they must have a safe work environment.”
WorkCover spokesperson Michael Birt said the organisation’s role would be to target unsafe work practices, while the IRV would focus on other working conditions, such as pay.
He said IRV inspectors would look at wage records to ensure Springvale’s outworkers were being paid fairly.
Textile, Clothing and Footwear Union of Australia secretary Michele O’Neil said the union had, so far, prosecuted 30 clothing companies in the Federal Court for breaching the clothing-trades award.
Ms O’Neil said worker exploitation was increasingly common, and was glad to see WorkCover and the IRV cracking down on employers not providing workers with basic rights.
“We want the real culprits to change their behaviour,” she said. “Often people try to say these workers are not employees and somehow should be responsible for all their own compensation and superannuation, but these workers are employees.
“It is just that no one wants to take the responsibility of their rights and safety. We are pleased that the government is taking action.”