歷時兩年，背包客終於成功追回欠薪!
2015年五月，一群台灣背包客透過澳洲當地NUW工會(National union of
workers)的管道，接受澳洲國家電視台(ABC)Four Corner節目訪問。分享他們在全澳最大的溫室番茄農場D'Vine Ripe工作狀況，節目更揭露背包客在工作時遭受到工資剝削及性騷擾的事件。這些員工是透過柬埔寨老闆 Peter Yim的人力仲介公司CNC (CNC Labour
Hire)得到工作，但卻遭受到CNC所直接聘雇的主管Danesh職場性侵害。
In May 2015 union members from D'Vine Ripe,
now known as Perfection Fresh, mainly from Taiwan shared their story on Four
Corners about underpayment and sexual harassment at the site. The workers
involved were employed by a company called CNC Labour Hire, this company was
run by a Cambodian man named Peter Yim. Workers were sexually assaulted by a
directly employed supervisor named Danesh.
(圖片來源： http://www.stockjournal.com.au/story/3367033/dvine-ripe-cuts-contract/)
在Four Corner節目播出後，番茄農場D'Vine Ripe終止與CNC人力公司的合約，並且直接聘用遭受薪資剝削的背包客。所有員工不分國籍，薪資從每小時澳幣17元提升到合法的每小時21.6元。工會也開始與CNC不法仲介抗爭，協助背包客追討回先前的欠薪，此舉也鼓舞了當時許多員工紛紛加入NUW工會。
After the show aired D'Vine Ripe terminated
their contract with CNC Labour Hire and employed workers directly. Worker wages
went up from $17 an hour to $21.60 per hour. The union started
proceedings against CNC Labour Hire to recover lost funds. This inspired many
workers to join the union!
在與CNC仲介多年的欠薪追討抗爭中，工會從D'Vine Ripe內部帳目發現該廠積欠CNC一筆金額約30萬澳幣的人事經費款；同時間，CNC卻早已經開始脫產，以避嫌。工會開始對D'Vine Ripe施壓，請D'Vine Ripe從CNC的人事經費款項中，直接提撥給付給遭受欠薪的員工。D'Vine Ripe內的工會會員及工會代表在與澳洲勞動公平公正公署(Fair Work Ombudsmen)開完協調會後，也將內幕爆料ABC電視台。
After over a year of struggle to recover funds from CNC Labour Hire, the union discovered D'Vine Ripe owed CNC Labour Hire over $300,000 around this time CNC Labour Hire was put into liquidation. The union ramped up the pressure on D'Vine Ripe to make payment to CNC Labour Hire or pay workers who were underpaid directly. Union members from D'Vine and union officials met with the Fair Work Ombudsmen and spoke to ABC media
(影片來源：ABC澳洲國家廣播電視公司)
工會在與D'Vine Ripe管理層及澳洲勞動公平公正公署(Fair Work Ombudsmen)協商完畢後，D'Vine Ripe當時的管理層仍無視媒體釋出的輿論壓力，拒絕以該款項作為賠償的方式，直接給付給遭受剝削的員工。且表態他們完全沒有義務協助此案，爾後，並且支付30萬澳幣給已提出脫產而遭清算的CNC 人力仲介公司。
After its meeting with the Ombudsmen and media pressure the union met with D'Vine Ripe management. The management refused to make direct payment to workers and told the union it wasn't responsible but it did subsequently make a payment of $300,000 to the liquidator of CNC Labour Hire.
在2016年6月，在D'Vine Ripe的工會會員發起勞動議價支持請願書。要求該農場做團體議價協商。在超過400名勞工的大廠，有超過半數以上的工人表態支持。當時，D'Vine Ripe農場透過澳洲平等工作委員會(Fair
Work Commission)來挑戰該議價協商請願。，在協商請願書送至澳洲平等工作Fair Work聽證會審查後，2016年年底，聽證會判定NUW工會及多數員工有多數決，要求該農場與勞工及NUW工會做團體議價協商。
In June 2016 Union members launched a majority support petition at D'Vine Ripe to force the company to bargain for a collective agreement. A majority of the company's 400 workers supported the union's petition. The company chose to contest this petition through the Fair Work Commission. The case went to a hearing at Fair Work towards the end of 2016 where the commission ruled that the union had a majority and the company was forced to bargain with the union.
工會會員與該農場於2017年2月至5月中進行團體議價協商，當時，工人看似為了要贏取永久工作權、合法工資、工作平權及尊重，隨時都會與工會合作發起罷工行動!
Union members have been bargaining with the
company between February and May 2017. It looks likely that workers are going
to take strike action to win permanent jobs, fair pay, fair allocation of work
and respect!
雖然D'Vine Ripe廠內多數員工都屬於農場直接聘雇。但，農場透過Madec人力仲介來仲介背包客及萬那杜(Vanuatu)等非典型聘僱的季節工。在團體議價多數決裁定並開始進行後，Madec人力仲介公司以威脅要開除140位已加入工會的季節性工人，干擾團體議價協議進行。但，NUW工會隨即將此案件呈上聯邦法院，在等待裁決的時候，Madec公司態度開始軟化，同意尊重季節性員工加入工會的權益。
D'Vine Ripe employs the majority of its workers directly. There is however now a labour hire company called Madec on site. Madec employs a mixture of backpackers and seasonal workers from Vanuatu. Madec threatened to sack 140 seasonal workers after they joined the union. The union took the case to the federal court before a settlement was reached with Madec. Madec agreed to respect the union rights of seasonal workers
在長達2年的勞動權益抗爭後，終於在今年5月初，工會成功的替50多名勞工從CNC清算資產中拿回欠薪。遭欠薪的員工將與CNC的債權人Divine Ripe平分30萬澳幣的人事經費款，總欠薪比例高達55%。
追討欠薪的員工，許多都是台灣籍的打工度假者，從挺身透過電視台揭露自身被欠薪及性騷擾的不平等待遇，鼓勵更多勞動者加入工會。如今農場內的多數員工都是工會會員，並持續向公司爭取更公平合理的團體議價協商，保障自己的工作權益！
In early May this year, after fighting for over two years, the union finally won backpay for fifty workers who were underpaid by CNC labour hire. The workers received 55% of the money they were owed after the liquidator spread the $300,000 payment equally between workers and other creditors who were owed money by CNC Labour Hire. Many of the workers were working holiday workers from Taiwan who showed the courage to expose underpayment and harassment through four corners inspired many other workers to have the courage to join the union. Now workers on site are fighting for their first union agreement!
新聞編譯：Bob Liao
校對：Sherry Huang
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