Maroochy Sunshine was a labour hire business contracting labourers to farmers in Queensland. In 2014, 22 workers from Vanutatu were employed Maroochy Sunshine to undertake seasonal work in the horticulture industry. The workers were lured by false promises about the amount of work available and the pay that would receive for that work. Evidence was given that, upon arrival in Australia, the workers were immediately taken to an isolated, rural area, were not provided with any money to buy food, were unable to call their families, did not have access to transportation, were forced to sleep in cramped living quarters or on buses, and were verbally abused by the director of Maroochy Sunshine.
The labour hire company and its director were ordered to pay a combined penalty of $227,300 for breaches of the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth).
Case Citation
Fair Work Ombudsman v Maroochy Sunshine Pty Ltd & Anor [2017] FCCA 559