Unions justified in opposing exploitative working holiday visas

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Australia’s union movement has called on the Morrison Government to axe working holiday maker visas:

The Australian Workers’ Union, the Shop Distributive and Allied Employees Association and the Transport Workers’ Union have formed an alliance, calling for an urgent end to the working holidaymaker visa.

In a submission to a federal review of the farm workforce, the Retail Supply Chain Alliance claimed the backpacker program was rife with exploitation and called for more Australians to work on farms as well as an expansion of the seasonal worker program.

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About the author
Leith van Onselen is Chief Economist at the MB Fund and MB Super. He is also a co-founder of MacroBusiness. Leith has previously worked at the Australian Treasury, Victorian Treasury and Goldman Sachs.