THE 29 overseas workers employed by Taiwanese company Chia Tung on the Manildra site at Bomaderry say they are being treated as virtual prisoners.
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They are now in better housing, having left the Worrigee Road dosshouse on Sunday, but their freedom is severely restricted during their one-year stay in Australia.
Although they are free to leave their new accommodation and walk around their neighbourhood, they say they cannot use a car without permission of project manager, basically restricting their right to travel beyond walking distance.
The manager allegedly had his own private space, a cabin with its own toilet, adjoin the original dosshouse.
Edrian Elemento confirmed from an earlier interview that the workers have only about one day off work a month to shop, clean house and for personal leisure.
None of the workers have any regrets about cooperating with the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) to try to improve conditions.
“If we don’t complain we won’t get the money we’re owed,” said Alan Viña,
hired as an electrician but now working as a grain operator, which he is not qualified for.
“And since talking with the union our housing has improved.”
But Jeszar Banajera pointed out their pay was now 15 days late.
“Chia Tung is very cheap,” Mr Banajera said.
Mr Roberto Rosales started work in November 2014, and will not see his wife and daughter for another 10 months. Under the contract signed with Chia Tung, Mr Rosales must stay in Australia for the duration of the contract.
“I miss my family and phone them two or three times a week,” Mr Rosales said.
He came to Australia because the contract Chia Tung offered was better than anything he could get in the Philippines.
“But what we get here from the company is not as good as what Chia Tung said I would get when I signed the contract in Manila.”
Mr Rosales said he was offered the job through the YWA Human Resources Corporation in Manila.
“When I come to Australia I was very surprised by our first house. This is not what I was promised in the Philippines.”
Mr Rosales said he liked the new house, one of three the workers now slept in.
“But we only have one washing machine between the three houses.”
Despite the conditions under which they live and work in Australia, all the workers said they liked the country and working with Australians.
“Some of those we work with have given us food and even a television.”
Their original accommodation at the Worrigee Road dosshouse ran serious risk of running afoul of local housing regulations.
Shoalhaven City Council’s Building Compliance senior manager Bob Goldspring said that from descriptions and photographs he had seen on the Register website, the house was being used as a Class 3 dwelling, reserved for boarding houses and the like.
“Class 3 buildings have significant fire safety requirements,” Mr Goldspring said. “They also had to have been given development consent.”
Mr Goldspring said council was considering serving a search warrant on the dosshouse some time on Thursday, although he was not certain it would go ahead now the place was vacated.