Labour hire workers in the horticulture industry are the target of a significant new communication campaign by the Labour Hire Authority (LHA).

Launched in December, the campaign aims to raise workers awareness of their rights and how to report unfair treatment by labour hire businesses.

Labour Hire licensing commissioner Steve Dargavel said the campaign highlights how to safely report issues to LHA.

“Horticulture workers are among the industry’s most vulnerable, so it’s crucial that we empower them to speak up – whether it’s an issue concerning themselves or their workmates,” Commissioner Dargavel said.

The campaign was developed in consultation with a range of organisations that engage regularly with horticulture workers and includes campaign material translated into nine relevant languages.

“Thousands of migrant workers, from a range of regions and cultural backgrounds, come to Victoria each year to follow the harvest trail.

“For this campaign to connect with horticulture workers, it was important for the language and imagery to reflect their diverse backgrounds and experiences,” he said.

Information for workers – along with English and translated versions of posters, handouts and digital assets – are available for workers and stakeholders to download at labourhireauthority.vic.gov.au/hort-worker

This new communication campaign follows significant LHA compliance and enforcement activity in the industry over the past 12 months, targeting a range of contraventions by labour hire providers and hosts.

A horticulture provider was recently issued a total penalty of $617,916 the highest in Australian history for breaches of labour hire law – following a Labour Hire Authority (LHA) prosecution.

The horticulture industry has also been a strong focus for LHA’s program of regional engagement across 2023, with our team visiting towns and regional centres and meeting directly with horticulture hosts and stakeholders. 

“We want labour hire workers to know they can contribute to protecting themselves and their workmates and let us know about unfair or unlawful behaviour by labour hire companies,” Commissioner Dargavel said.

As well as enforcement actions, LHA has recently undertaken a range of investigations of horticulture providers, resulting in refusals of licence applications and cancellations of licences.