International students in Australia are increasingly speaking out against exploitative employers who pay as little as $5 an hour, far below the national minimum wage. A 25-year-old Chinese student, Naomi, worked 11-hour days at a restaurant for $12 an hour, promised a raise to $20 after a month, but was dismissed without explanation. She is now pursuing a wage theft case with the help of a group of Chinese students and working holiday makers.
These workers have created a WeChat group to share information about dodgy employers, receiving reports of over 40 businesses in South Australia paying less than $15 an hour. Job advertisements on Chinese-language site AdelaideBBS.com often omit pay rates, and negotiations can lower wages further. One video shows an employer offering $14 an hour for a dishwashing job, and when questioned, responds: 'We have our ways.'
Australia's Fair Work Commission sets the minimum wage at $19.84 per hour as of July 2020, with hospitality casual workers aged 20 or older entitled to about $25 per hour. However, many international students are unaware of their rights and are exploited due to language barriers. Abbey Kendall, director of the Working Women's Centre, says international students 'are living in another world when it comes to work' and are lucky to receive the minimum wage in Adelaide.
The group's founders, Jacky Chen and Dante Ding, aim to eliminate wages below $15 an hour. They connected Naomi to the Working Women's Centre, which is now representing her. The situation highlights a systemic issue where employers underreport hours to the tax office, effectively halving real wages. As Naomi questions, 'If every law is so perfect, why can these businesses still get away with this?'
