{"id":34743,"date":"2021-11-10T06:33:45","date_gmt":"2021-11-10T06:33:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/welcometo.travel\/?p=34743"},"modified":"2021-11-12T06:15:51","modified_gmt":"2021-11-12T06:15:51","slug":"work-on-a-farm-in-australia-casual-wage-increase","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/welcometo.travel\/work-on-a-farm-in-australia-casual-wage-increase\/","title":{"rendered":"Work On A Farm In Australia – Now $25.41 An Hour"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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There have long been discussions on how to improve the criteria of specified work that needs to be completed in order to get a second (and third) working holiday visa in Australia, and now there\u2019s finally some good news for all future working holidaymakers that need\/want to work on a farm in Australia.<\/strong><\/p>

You might know this specified work aspect under another name, maybe your 88 days, farm work, rural work, fruit picking or your 3 months.<\/p>

In 2020, the government launched an inquiry into the working holiday visa and how it can be improved. With borders closed, I had some time on my hands and this felt like a perfect opportunity to be able to have my say on something I\u2019m knowledgeable and passionate about, working holiday makers having the best possible time in Australia.<\/p>

As part of my role as Vice President at Adventure Tourism Victoria<\/a>, I, along with others, put together a submission highlighting things that can be improved within the visa. This process also involved representing the submission by speaking in parliament.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The ultimate goal? To have a positive effect on future working holiday makers.<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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One of the main things we focused on was improving the way wages are paid on farms.<\/p>

Nearly one year on, we\u2019re pleased to say that we\u2019ve seen an incredible result, something so positive that it resulted in Australia\u2019s Worker\u2019s Union National Secretary Daniel Walton described the ruling as ‘one of the most significant industrial decisions of modern times’.<\/p>

While hourly pay is still found across the industries involved in specified work a lot of this work, especially when picking fruit, has been paid on something called a piece rate. A piece rate, basically explained, is where you\u2019re paid for how much work you do. IE, you\u2019re paid per the amount of pieces you produce\/pick\/pack.<\/p>

This could be the amount of cherries you pick, trees you plant or vines you prune. This can increase productivity and also prove to be financially rewarding. It absolutely can be a positive when employers enforce it correctly.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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I worked on a farm in Australia back in 2011<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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To give you an example, when Darryl (the other co-founder of Welcome to Travel<\/a>) and I personally completed our specified work, our employer was excellent. When we were in younger, less populated trees, we were paid an hourly rate because there simply wasn\u2019t many fruit to pick so a piece rate would have left us underpaid.<\/p>

When we moved into the older trees, packed full of avocados, we were moved on to a piece rate and that\u2019s when we earned more. We were extremely motivated and earned more money, our piece rate experience here was positive.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Darryl - pretending he can drive a tractor.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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However some employers have spoiled that system for others by using it as a way to underpay, and take advantage of workers. They paid low piece rates and\/or had too high expectations. EG Instead of paying Darryl and I hourly in the younger trees, they would have continued to pay us a piece rate. This would have left us demotivated, underpaid and frustrated with the system that created this.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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This is why this week\u2019s announcement is extremely positive and a huge win for travellers coming to Australia, who want \/ need to work on a farm.<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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On Friday November 5th 2021 \u201cthe Australian Fair Work Commission ruled that <\/span>farm workers picking fruit on a piece rate must be guaranteed a minimum hourly rate <\/span><\/a>of $25.41.<\/span><\/p>

While the Commission’s draft determination does not outlaw piecework, it guarantees a minimum hourly rate regardless of productivity.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

This new wage of $25.41ph is the minimum wage for a<\/span> casual worker<\/span><\/a> in Australia. To put that in perspective in your home currency, that is:<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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