Fruit pickers ( blue berries ) Atherton tablelands
jab160 said
05:34 PM Dec 25, 2015
"Costa" australias largest berry grower, now has 2 farms Atherton area. April...........sept is full on harvesting, around $23 hr. Easy physical work. Might suit some here ???
Plodnalong said
10:33 PM Dec 25, 2015
Would suit me down to the ground as my fruit work in Cobram, Vic stops at Easter and the grain work doesn't start until October. Doe you have any details?
greyhoundtom said
07:21 AM Dec 26, 2015
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-07-29/costa-group-union-dispute-berry-farm-workers/6656186 Berry pickers get paid under the piece rate pay system, where workers get paid per punnet of berries, rather than an hourly rate.
There were two workers, average speed workers, were earning $20 an hour at the start, but when the price per punnet dropped they were earning $8 an hour but picking at the same speed.
jab160 said
08:21 AM Dec 26, 2015
My "source" tells me, that pickers have to be paid a legislated minimum rate which is around $23hr, but as well they must pick *** punnets per day. If.......they can pick more, they increase their $$$ to around $28hr.
Pickers that amble along are encouraged to speed up to "minimum punnets" if that is not achieved, they are cut loose. My source says the company is spending millions setting up more berry farms, and securing the required workforce is critical. She tells me, many many of the pickers, are returning pickers, so "they" must like the work. Backpackers are the biggest group apparantly, and if "conditions" were unfair, the bush telegraph would quickly backfire on the growers........just my view.
Anyway......i'll chase up contact details, for anyone interested, stay tuned.
Desert Dweller said
06:52 PM Dec 27, 2015
As Fats Domino sang, I Found My Thrill On Blueberry Hill. Who needs to work? We gave it up 5 years ago!
jab160 said
07:09 PM Dec 27, 2015
Few yrs back, ( 8..10 yrs ) mango growers NT, were crying, that they could not get pickers, they wanted to bring in asians etc. That then exposed the growers were actually exploiting pickers badly, and the bush telegraph had alerted folks to their practices.
Things went real quiet, real quick, from growers etc..........i believe conditions have greatly improved now.
Oxley said
07:27 AM Dec 28, 2015
I think you may find being an Australian, it will be very hard to get a start at a majority of fruit picking work. Now I dont need the work, I get more than I can handle by word of mouth, but as Im calling my current tour the A man has got to know his limitations, where Ill take on any job just for the experience.
Ive lost count on how many ads Ive responded to only to be hung up on as soon as they tweak that Im not on a Working Holiday Visa and a local, or given a list of requirements, such as I MUST stay at a particular hostel, and MUST pay up front for everything, which doesnt suit someone in a van.
Im still hearing horror stories from foreign travellers, getting put off just short of the 88 days, paying upfront for accommodation and not getting enough work to cover cost etc, from what Im hearing directly, its not a media beat up.
There is a lot of farmers crying at the moment, since the changes to the Working Holiday Visa second year requirements have changed, the 88 days now must be paid work, with pay slips etc
I had a call from one farmer begging me to come and work for him ASAP, but as soon as I heard his story I lost all sympathy.
He had for the last 30 years used WWOOFers as free labour, he wasnt a registered WWOOF host, so what little insurance is available through that scheme is null and void, he didnt have any work cover insurance, which is a Queensland state requirement for any worker, paid or not.
And he worked them 12 hours a day 7 days a week, and as soon as they complained, he threatened them, to drop them off at the gate and not sign off the days they had worked, have them blacklisted etc, what ever worked.
Bruce and Bev said
11:21 AM Dec 28, 2015
last year the federal govt was talking about allowing non-essential skilled people from overseas to come into the country long term to work crop and fruit/vege farms.
As well as young and old Aussies loosing work, some of these businesses still badly exploit their staff - which is often why they want those from overseas who don't know what authority to contact or what their employment rights are.
Look at the owner of Steggles - the biggest chicken producer. They have set up a number of employment contactors who solely look for overseas workers only for Steggles. They are worked beyond the allowable weekly hours, underpaid, not paid overtime, not given Super or sick/holiday hours and jammed into slummy sleeping conditions. The ABC has shown this late last year several times and Steggles just says they don't know anything - they use employment agencies - ones set up by them !!
"Costa" australias largest berry grower, now has 2 farms Atherton area. April...........sept is full on harvesting, around $23 hr. Easy physical work. Might suit some here ???
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-07-29/costa-group-union-dispute-berry-farm-workers/6656186
My "source" tells me, that pickers have to be paid a legislated minimum rate which is around $23hr, but as well they must pick *** punnets per day. If.......they can pick more, they increase their $$$ to around $28hr.
Pickers that amble along are encouraged to speed up to "minimum punnets" if that is not achieved, they are cut loose. My source says the company is spending millions setting up more berry farms, and securing the required workforce is critical. She tells me, many many of the pickers, are returning pickers, so "they" must like the work. Backpackers are the biggest group apparantly, and if "conditions" were unfair, the bush telegraph would quickly backfire on the growers........just my view.
Anyway......i'll chase up contact details, for anyone interested, stay tuned.
As Fats Domino sang, I Found My Thrill On Blueberry Hill. Who needs to work? We gave it up 5 years ago!
Few yrs back, ( 8..10 yrs ) mango growers NT, were crying, that they could not get pickers, they wanted to bring in asians etc. That then exposed the growers were actually exploiting pickers badly, and the bush telegraph had alerted folks to their practices.
Things went real quiet, real quick, from growers etc..........i believe conditions have greatly improved now.
Ive lost count on how many ads Ive responded to only to be hung up on as soon as they tweak that Im not on a Working Holiday Visa and a local, or given a list of requirements, such as I MUST stay at a particular hostel, and MUST pay up front for everything, which doesnt suit someone in a van.
Im still hearing horror stories from foreign travellers, getting put off just short of the 88 days, paying upfront for accommodation and not getting enough work to cover cost etc, from what Im hearing directly, its not a media beat up.
There is a lot of farmers crying at the moment, since the changes to the Working Holiday Visa second year requirements have changed, the 88 days now must be paid work, with pay slips etc
I had a call from one farmer begging me to come and work for him ASAP, but as soon as I heard his story I lost all sympathy.
He had for the last 30 years used WWOOFers as free labour, he wasnt a registered WWOOF host, so what little insurance is available through that scheme is null and void, he didnt have any work cover insurance, which is a Queensland state requirement for any worker, paid or not.
And he worked them 12 hours a day 7 days a week, and as soon as they complained, he threatened them, to drop them off at the gate and not sign off the days they had worked, have them blacklisted etc, what ever worked.
As well as young and old Aussies loosing work, some of these businesses still badly exploit their staff - which is often why they want those from overseas who don't know what authority to contact or what their employment rights are.
Look at the owner of Steggles - the biggest chicken producer. They have set up a number of employment contactors who solely look for overseas workers only for Steggles. They are worked beyond the allowable weekly hours, underpaid, not paid overtime, not given Super or sick/holiday hours and jammed into slummy sleeping conditions. The ABC has shown this late last year several times and Steggles just says they don't know anything - they use employment agencies - ones set up by them !!