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Firstly, of course it's fcked to put needles in fruit, but I don't see anyone asking why people are sabotaging the fruit.
Fruit pickers are some of the most vulnerable and exploited workers out there. Most are backpackers or migrants from poor countries who rely on their employers to sign off on their Visas.
Some of my close mates who did their regional work to extend their working holiday visas were underpaid, overworked, solicited for sexual favours in exchange for their documentation and then threatened if they asked for the appropriate pay.
In my working life I've provided legal aid to migrants with legitimate visas often from poor pacific nations who are completely fcked over. Threatened to not sponsor their Visa, meaning they can't bring their families across and then not paid enough to visit.
It's pretty grim and that isn't considering the many who do not have a legal visa and have little to no recourse. Honestly the worst of it is really just modern slavery.
The exploitation is particularly bad in North NSW and Qld, which iirc is where this started?
You have to wonder if any of that played a part in this. Wanting to fck over their bosses or draw attention to the farms.
Then you have the copycat phenomenon and the whole thing is messed up.
For the record my partner and her Swedish backpacker friends were paid well and taken care of here in WA - which isn't as bad as some states - but in my experience there are plenty that aren't.
Fruit pickers are some of the most vulnerable and exploited workers out there. Most are backpackers or migrants from poor countries who rely on their employers to sign off on their Visas.
Some of my close mates who did their regional work to extend their working holiday visas were underpaid, overworked, solicited for sexual favours in exchange for their documentation and then threatened if they asked for the appropriate pay.
In my working life I've provided legal aid to migrants with legitimate visas often from poor pacific nations who are completely fcked over. Threatened to not sponsor their Visa, meaning they can't bring their families across and then not paid enough to visit.
It's pretty grim and that isn't considering the many who do not have a legal visa and have little to no recourse. Honestly the worst of it is really just modern slavery.
The exploitation is particularly bad in North NSW and Qld, which iirc is where this started?
You have to wonder if any of that played a part in this. Wanting to fck over their bosses or draw attention to the farms.
Then you have the copycat phenomenon and the whole thing is messed up.
For the record my partner and her Swedish backpacker friends were paid well and taken care of here in WA - which isn't as bad as some states - but in my experience there are plenty that aren't.
