Exposingthe lie of theland
AndrewRule
October10,2009
THE savageryofthekillingsuggests it wasmorethan arobberygonewrong. It happenedin Robinvale,theMurrayValleytown that irrigationbuilt,whereethnic tensionsburstintobrutalpay-nightbrawlseveryfruit-pickingseason. OnApril 1,2001, anangrypickerturned upat his boss' houseinthe townaskingformoneyhe wasowed. He arguedwith the50-year-oldwomanwho hadlethimintothekitchen.
He knewshehadhiddencashbecausesheandhersonpaidpickersinbanknotes.Whenshebrushedhimoff,he snapped. Hegrabbeda meatcleaver,cutoff herhandthenhacked herto deathinfrontof herterrifiedgranddaughters,agedsixandfour, andtwotoddlersbeingbabysat. Hefound a26-year-oldwomanhiding inabedroomandkilledher, too.
He lockedthechildrenin a roomandrifledthehouse,takinga bankcardandcash. Thenhedroveoff inthefamily'svan.
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At Bendigo,threehours south,he emptiedthefirstvictim'sbank account. He tooka taxi toMelbourneandvanishedintotheillegalmigrants' undergroundnetwork. Hemightneverhavebeencaughtif someonehadnottipped offpoliceinSydneyfiveyearslater. Hewassentenced in Melbourneearlylast yearto 25 years' jail.
To the outsideworld itmighthave seemedjust anotherunspeakablystupidmurderbya greedythief. Itdidnotmakehugeheadlines,maybebecausebothvictimsand killerwereVietnamese.
Fewknewthe killer'srealname andnoneknewwhere he hadgone.Manyhad reasonsforkeepingsilent:they,likehim,wereillegalworkerstrappedincircumstances similar to thosethathadsparkedhismurderousrage.
The oldermurder victim,Ba Nguyen,wasa ''labourcontractor'' in thehorticultureindustry.
As ImmigrationDepartmentarrests show, manycontractorsrecruit''illegals'' to prunetrees,pickfruitandharvestvegetables.Someuse''subcontractors'' todistancethemselvesfromillegality,buttheyhold the whiphand. Infact,thebutcheringofthetwowomenwasa glimpseof thelabourblack market:an opensecret whereverproducersdodgerulestoharvestcropsontimeandunderbudget.
At worst, it vergesonpeople-trafficking,echoingthe ''Kanaka'' trade of''blackbirders'' luringSolomonIslanderstoworkQueenslandcanefields more thana centuryago. Atbest,it undermines minimumawardwagesandconditions-andcostslegalAustralianresidentspotentialjobs.
Onethingisclear.Labourcontractinghas a darkside: theexploitation ofoftenvulnerablepeoplebythegreedyand theruthless.Andit isspreading.
THE decrepitfarmhouseon theoutskirts of Salewasbuiltbetween the wars,aroundthetimeSteinbeckwrote
The GrapesofWrathabouttheexploitationofAmerica'sruralpoor.
Thejerry-builtweatherboard,never much, isoverduefordemolition.The fake-brick claddingsags, theroofisrusted,theguttersarechokedand leaking.Cowshavesmashedtherickety fenceandfouled theporchandoutbuildings. Itlooksunliveable-certainlyunrentable.Butsomeonethinksitisfine for''guest''workers.
At the frontthehouselooksdeserted,butthereareclotheson theline,unseenfromtheroad.Next to atumbledownshed,almosthidden,threeyoungwomensitin thesunon a pileof oldtimber.
Theyhave justarrivedfromNepal,theysayhesitantlyinbrokenEnglish. Two claimto be ''dependants''- withhusbandsstudyingin Melbourne.Thethirdsayssheisa studenton a workingholiday.
Two men sidlefromthehouse.The olderof thepairsaysheisstudyingbusinessatHolmesglenCollege. He ismoreconvincingthantheothers. Hesayshespenttheprevious daycuttingrocketleafandishopingformoreworktomorrow. His companion is silent,andeyes the youngwomenmeaningfullybeforereturninginside.Thewomenagree toletTheAgelookattheirquarters.
Thehouseisdank,dampanddark, withthesmellempty buildingsgetbeforetheyareburned orbulldozed.Mattresses arescattered onthefloorsoffourbarerooms. Adozenworkers sleepthereatnight, thewomensay.
Thehousenext door isnearlyasdecrepit,withweedsspringingfromthespouting.There,behindclosedblinds,four fresharrivalsfromTaiwan are waitingtostart work in themorning.Acrossthe roadis anotherhouse,thebestof thethree. Nooneanswersthedoor,buttheworkgloveshungon thefenceandarmyof gumbootsnearthe backdoorsuggestthatit, too,houses manymorecontract labourers.
Nearbyisa vegetablecratestampedwith thename ofa farmgroupthatsupplies supermarketsnationwidewithquality saladleaves,handcutandsorted.Mostpeoplereadingthiswillhaveboughtthem.
Fromtheroad,thehouses lookempty. There are nocars,andblindsstayshut.Eachmorningarounddawn,vansarrive topickupunseenoccupants-ascene repeatedatothershabbyhousesaround thedistrict.
On the wayto the farm-asophisticatedhorticulturalenterpriseworthmillions- thevansspeedalongPowerscourtStreet,Maffra.The oldhouseat number 69is forsale for$169,500''butnegotiable''.Meanwhile, itrentsfor just$200 a week,whichmightsurprisethosewhopayto sleepthere- upto 15peoplemost nights,hintsa localagent.
The mostrecentarrivalisafriendly28-year-oldfromBali.Shehopesto work''atthegarden'' the next dayshesays. Sheistooanxioustoleave the houseto findthenearestshops. InBalisheworkedina tourist''spa'' butworkwasscarce.With her isaJavaneseman.He isolder,watchfulandquiet.Both are vagueabouthowlongtheyhope to workhere.
Thehouseisbasicbut nota slum,its occupants better offthanthoseshiveringin thetwoolddumpsat Sale.What theyhaveincommonisthe renttheyallpay:$80 a week,each- takenfromthe$13an hourthey''clear''oncetheystartwork.Lessthefuelmoneychargedbythecontractors.Lessthecost ofsecateursorknivessomehave to buyor replace.
The rent isanextortionracket,with the middlemenleasingeachhouse forroughlybetween $50and$200 aweekandsub-lettingmattress space atamassiveprofit- rippingclose to$1000cash a weekfromtheoccupantsof eachdwelling.Notquiteas lucrative a racketasbrothelsordrugsbutfarless risky.
PeriodicraidsbytheImmigrationDepartment,whichscooped up 19people intheSaledistrictrecently, arecatastrophicforillegalworkersbutmorea nuisance for thosewho employthem.
Thoseworkingillegally(ontouristvisas)toleratebadconditionsbecausetheyfearbeingdeported.
Thosewhoaren't''illegals'' canbe workinganangle,too.Bogus''students'' or theirparents payfor questionablecourses,hopingtoqualify for permanentresidency.It's migration bystealth,withthetacitcollusion ofallwhoprofitfromthem.
Thecontractorswhoprocuredocile,low-paidworkers arepimps for profiteers. In Britain,where23Chineseillegalimmigrantsweredrownedwhilegatheringshellfishin2004,peopleuseanotherword:gangmasters.There,theycangetup to 10years' jail.
THE ''okies'' whoseplightinspiredSteinbeckto writeTheGrapesOfWrathlimpedthroughtheDepressioninjalopiesheldtogetherwithfencingwire and fadinghopesofa promisedlandover thehorizon.Dreams stillgetbrokenbut atleastthetransport hasimprovedsince then.
In Australia,70yearson,thepoorestworkers aremovedtofarms in thebestvehicles- new Toyota Hiluxvanswithdark-tintedwindows.Theysee outbut theworldcan'tseein,whichishowthe operatorslikeit.
The newdieselvans are ajustifiedexpenseforthegangmasters:theygetworkerstopaddocksontimeregardlessoflongdistancestravelledfromachanging listofisolated''safehouses''.
Wait nearthebiggestvegetable farmnearMaffraand youseefivevansarrivewithinminutesofeachotherfrom7am. By7.30amaswarmof workers,wearingfluorescentsafety topsandpointed''coolie'' hatsandveils,aredoubledoverin theneatrowsagainsta backdropof Gippsland'sbluehills,doing handworkmachines cannotdoaswell oras cheaply:cutting,sorting,packingwith no yellowleaves, nodrystalks,nofeathers.
Modernmarketingdemandsthat theproductbesupermarket-flawlessbutkeenlypriced.Thiswouldexplainwhyeveryworkteamhasa supervisorpushingthem.
WhenTheAgetakesa photograph ofoneteam(from a publicroad) theMalaysiansupervisorstridesover,demanding a ''permit''. Hesaysweshouldtalkto ''theoffice''in thefarmyard.
Thewoman in theofficesays shehasrecentlymovedfrom BacchusMarsh.Shetelephonesone oftheownerstoaskif hewantstotalkaboutcontractlabourtoTheAge. Hedeclines.
Union organiserSamBeechey,wholivesnearby,sayspayandconditionsarebeingerodedbecausenewownersfromnorthandwest ofMelbournehavebroughtcontractcrewsto replacethemixof locals,itinerantseasonalworkersandbackpackersworkingtheirwayaroundAustralia.
''At leastthey've got toilets here,''Beecheysays,pointing atthemovablecubicleparkedbesideapaddock.Betterthan on somefarms in theGoulburnandMurrayvalleys, hesays. ''Itwasterriblethere.Women wouldjusthavetosquatbetweentherowsoron a boardover acoupleof bricks.''
TheMaffrapickersarelucky.WorkerstellTheAgethat atmanyorchardsinthe MurrayValleypickersstilldon'thavelavatoriesor runningwaterduringtheday. And,after work,most areinhousessoovercrowdedthat thesingleseptic tanktoiletsarecontinuallyblocked.
Standards are droppingbecause oftheinfluxof ''illegals'',saysone Indianstudentworker,whodemandsanonymity. He sayswomenandmenurinatein theopenrather thancomplainfor fearofbeingsacked.It'scheaperandeasier toget workerswhowon'tcomplainthanit istoput infacilities.
In anygroupofworkers,itispossiblethatsomearegenuinelow-budget tourists on workingholidays-and thatsome arepermanentresidentsmakingextracash. Butthosefamiliarwiththescenesayrisingnumbersof''illegals'' havepushedouttheseasonal workforcethatcomprisedamixof locals,students,backpackersandnomadicworkers.
Manyare uneasyaboutthisbut fewwant to go public.Some fear repercussions;othersfearhurtingthevalue oftheirbusinessesorproperty.Backpackerhostelandcaravanpark ownersaredirectlyaffected.
Clean backpackeraccommodationthatwasgoodvalueat $100-plusa week- andwhichforyears providedseasonallabour - strugglestocompetewhenfarmsusecontractorswhosegangsworkharder forless. The
gangmasterswinjobsbyshavinghourlywages- lastweekreportedlyat anewlowof $13 an hour,gross-andrakeoff extraprofits bygouging rentandfuelmoney.
Union organisers sayitsmacksof theriseof a''coolie'' underclasswhoclearas littleas$7or $8 anhour.Butunionsarenottheonlycritics.
TonyDawkins, from a longtimeGippslandfarmingfamily,runsGlenmaggieWinesvineyard near Maffra. Hesaysit isdisturbingthatgrapegrowerselsewhere-and vegetablegrowersinhisown district- uselabourcontractors.
Despitefacingsimilarcost pressures in thelabour-intensivevineyard,Dawkinsputsamoral caseagainstusingillegalworkers. Hehasinformed localstatemember CraigIngram of what hecalls standovertacticsandrentscams.
''I'm not interestedincatchingthepoorlittleillegalworkers,''he says.''Growersspendmultimilliondollarsonmachinery,damsandpackingsheds. Itthenseemsabsurdto saythesuccessofthe wholethingdependsonpayingbelowthe award.''
Newcomers attractedto EastGippslandbythe fertilesoilandrelativelyplentifulirrigationwaterincludehard-nosedveterans of theindustry fromwestandnorthof Melbournewhobroughtcontractlabourwiththem.
Whenoneestablishedvegetable farm, run bytheTaylorfamily,soldto''outsiders'' lastyear,several localworkers- machineryoperators -dislikedwhattheysawasoppressiveworkpractices.Someleft. Someturned ablindeye toprotecttheirownjobs.Fewwant to go ontherecord.
OnelongtimeTayloremployeetoldThe Age:''I'mnotscaredof anyone- butI've gota wifeandkidshereand ifanythinghappened …''He doesn'tfinishthesentence.''I'dgobackandworkforTaylorstomorrow-but notthesepeople.''
JoshMcGowan doesnot havehis ownfamily, buthe doeshavefriends amongAsianguestworkers,andmistrusts contractorswhouseillegalworkers. Healsoquestionswhyhugeenterprises thatinvestmillions in land,irrigation,machineryandmarketingthenconnivetopaybelow-award wages.
At leastthreeotherbigenterprisesintheareausesuspectcontractors, hesays.One hugeoperationreputedly''lost''sevenworkers,arrestedwhenauthoritiesraideda house at Rosedalerecently.
There are manycontractors,he says,butthebiggestisbased in SwanHill. Andisknown onlyas''Afrika''.
REAL names are thefirstcasualty incontractlabourland.For a manreputedtocontrolup to1000workers ayearthroughhis business,MurrayValleyAgricultural,''Afrika'' likestostayincognito. A readytalker, hegoesquietwhen toldthenameonhispassportisZoyebYamani.''You've done yourhomework,''he sayscoldly.
He got thenicknameworkinghiswayaroundAustraliaafterarriving''30yearsago'' fromTanzania-where,ironically,hisforebearswereIndianlabourersimportedto buildrailways.
He dideverythingfromminingto trawler-fishing toshopfitting - and fruitpicking.Fiveyears ago, hesays, hearrivedinSwan Hill with$20.Until then,he workedfor othersandgambledhis pay. Butafterrecruitingextrapickersfor afarmer,he decided to give upgamblingandstartorganisingothersto dothedirty work.
It tookoff.Today, heownsa thrivingAsianfoodshopandtwo houses- one tolivein, oneasanoffice.Herunsfour newToyotavansandsome olderones.Mostdays,heisgonebeforedawn, ina paddock anywhere fromGippslandto Mildura.Somesayhe alsorunsworkersinQueensland.
Hisreputationisthatif afarm wants
50 peopletostartworkthe nextday, he delivers.He tellsThe Agehecouldarrangeit witha calltoMelbourne,Sydneyor Adelaide. Heclaimsno oneworksunlesstheyhave thecorrect visas. He sayshecannotafford any''more'' troublewithImmigration anduses subcontractors todistancehimselffromanypossibleillegality.
Afrikaisn't as friendlyasheacts. Hecirculatestheregistration andmake ofthecarused byThe Age,warningothersitcouldbe afrontfor Immigration. He hasreasonstobewary. Proof of this isthederelicthousenorth oftownhe used tohideworkersinuntilagentsraideditlastfruitseason.
The empty houseisworsethan theonesnearSale.Thefront doorhangsopen.Insidearesignsof asuddendeparture:runnersandtracksuitbottoms lefthangingonnailsinthe walls; atinypair ofthongs,a bottleofmuesliand a Chinese-languagenewspaperon akitchenfloorlitteredwith birdandmousedroppings. Apornmagazineon thefilthybench.
Outside,under askillionroof,isacrudeshowerriggedfrom oldcorrugatedironnextto achokedlavatory.Theonlytroubleanyonewenttowastostretcha hugelengthofgreenshadecloth onfenceposts betweenhouseandroad.
It takes a minute to realisewhy. It isno windbreak.It wastostoptheoutsideworldseeingtheshamefulthingbehindit.
There are othershamefulthings.Deepin theorchardbackblockssouthof thehighwayisaroughcamp in abushpaddock. A toiletblockissurroundedbycaravans,chainedandpadlocked.Locals saythis iswhere a bigorchardisthousesworkers.Noneofit couldpasscouncilhealthinspection.
''It'sthe wildwestoutthereintheseason,''says oneobserver.''Thepickersarecoveredupso youseenothingbut theireyesand ifsomeoneofficialturnsup theyscatter and run.''
Theowner hasa reputationasa hardmanwhostandsoverillegalworkers,refusing topaythemtheagreedamountafterweeksof work,knowing theyaretoofrightenedof deportationto resist.
But heisnot toughenoughtobluffeveryone. HeturnsawayBritish, Irishand Germanbackpackersnowbecausewhen he tried tounderpayagroup ofthemacoupleofseasonsago,theychasedhimandbrokethelightsandaerialsonhis utility.
Anothernotoriousgrower,north of Nyah,goesfurther. Hehiresillegalworkers,doesn't paythemforseveralweeks' work- thensecretlyinforms theImmigrationDepartmentsotheworkers getarrested at nightandtakenaway.
Thegrower getsfreeslavelabour.Thedepartmentgetsarrests.Everyone'sa winner- excepttheworkers.Buttheykeepcoming-andsodothe gangmasters.
Earlylastweeka well-dressedman wheeledhis midnight-blueBMWintoa caravanparknearSwan Hill. He waslookingfor adiscountdeal tohousehisgangofworkers.
When theproprietormentioned thelikelihood of raidsandthe necessityofworkvisas, heleft.
Andrew Ruleisa deputyeditor.