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When Karnvir Singh, 37, was offered a full-time job as a chef at an Indian restaurant in Gold Coast, he could not believe his luck.
"It looks like an angel has come for me … I thought it was a miracle in my life," Singh told SBS News.
"After a while, it was a totally different story."
The father of a child emigrated from Punjab (India) to Australia in 2007 to study the management of hospitality.
"Cooking is my pbadion. Sometimes I cook at home because I can not prevent it, "he said.
He was married in 2014 and he and his wife, who also moved to Australia, had a daughter three years ago.
But after working at the restaurant for more than three years, her life was turned upside down when her employer asked her to work without pay. He said that his boss had promised him that it would only be for a few weeks.
Karnvir Singh left India to become leader.
SBS
"When I asked him to pay me, he started making me sing. [He said] "I can not pay you now, maybe next week, next week," he said.
"I had my [visa] from his restaurant at the immigration department, he said that if I asked him more and more about wages, he would withdraw my [sponsorship] appointment, "he said.
Mr. Singh was working on a 457 visa and his employer had promised to sponsor him for permanent residence under the Employer Appointment Program (subclbad 186 visa).
But that did not happen.
Carina Garland, deputy secretary of the Victorian Trades Hall Council, said that temporary visa holders were particularly vulnerable to exploitation, especially when their employer sponsored them.
"There is a whole series of cases where employers use the power they have in Australia on those who have a temporary work visa to steal their pay," she said.
The Fair Labor Ombudsman told SBS News in a statement that he had helped 2,158 workers in labor disputes involving a visa holder. This equates to 20% of the total number of disputes handled.
There is a range of cases where employers use the power they have over temporary work visa holders to steal their salary.
– Carina Garland, Victorian Trades Hall Council
"In 2017-2018, the FWO received $ 4.8 million in penalties for decisions involving visa holders, and we contributed to the recovery of more than $ 2 million of underpayments for visa holders. . In the first half of 2018-2019, the FWO had already recovered $ 1.47 million for visa holders, "said a spokeswoman.
In the end, Mr. Singh quit his job and has since lodged a complaint with his former employer with the Fair Work Ombudsman seeking to recover $ 25,000 in wages, which is due to him. The Ombudsman is in the early stages of evaluating his case.
During the eight months he worked without pay, he stated that his wife had been forced to work longer as a cleaning lady and that he had to borrow money from friends to put food on. on the table.
"I could not survive anymore, it was like it was enough, it's enough," he said.
Migrants exploiting migrants
Garland said one of the problems faced by workers with temporary visas was the fear that their visas would be threatened if they asked for help.
"People do not take the floor because they do not believe that the system will support them or fear they will be sent home while talking only about being abused at work," she said. .
In the case of Mr. Singh, he says he is deeply embarrbaded by the fact that the boss he trusted was from his country.
"It's very shameful to say that it's my own compatriot who does it. It's very embarrbading, "he said.
Ms. Garland said that it was not uncommon for the operation to come from members of the same migrant community.
"Unfortunately, discrimination against migrant workers is not discriminatory and is practiced by people from different backgrounds, including the migrants themselves," she said.
The Fair Work Ombudsman said that those seeking help should not be afraid of losing their visas.
"Visa holders should be aware that, in accordance with an agreement with the Ministry of the Interior, they can request the badistance of the Fair Work mediator without fearing that their visa will be canceled," said the spokesman. word of the Fair Work mediator.
Mr. Singh's visa application was canceled by his former employer when he left, but he is now in possession of an intermediate visa while challenging the visa decision in court, separately from his Fair Work claim. against his former employer.
He stated that he had chosen to express himself to sensitize other migrants to the risks of exploitation at the workplace. He also has high hopes for his future in Australia.
"Maybe I'll own my own restaurant in the next few years," he said. "I want to serve the Australian people".
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