Migrant Rights at Work: Law’s Precariousness at the Intersection of Immigration and Labour

343 Pages·2016·7.486 MB·English

by  Laurie Berg

Migrant Rights at Work
Publicdebatesaboutthetermsofmembershipandinclusionhaveintensi-
fiedasdevelopedeconomiesincreasinglyrelyontemporarymigrantlabour.
Whilemostagreethattemporarymigrantworkersareentitledtothegeneral
protection of employment laws, temporary migrants have, by definition,
restrictedrightstoresidence,socialprotectionsandoftenoccupationaland
geographicmobility.Thisbookraisesimportantethicalquestionsaboutthe
differentialtreatmentoftemporaryandunauthorisedmigrantworkers,and
permanent residents, and where the line should be drawn between
exploitationandlegitimateemployment.
Taking regulatory reforms in Australia as a key case study, Laurie Berg
exploreshowtheinfluenceofimmigrationlawextendsbeyonditsfunctions
inregulatingadmissiontoandexclusionfromacountry.Bergexaminesthe
ways in which immigration law and enforcement reconfigure the relation-
ships between migrant workers and employers, producing uncertain and
coerciveworkingconditions. Inpresentingananalyticalapproachtoissues
of temporary labour migration, the book develops a unique theoretical
framework,contendingthattheconceptofprecariousnessisamorefruitful
waythanequalityorvulnerabilitytoevaluateandaddressissuesoftemporary
migrantlabour.
The book will be of great interest to scholars and practitioners of
immigrationlawandemploymentlawandpolicy.
Laurie Berg is a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Law, University of Tech-
nology,Sydney,Australia.
Routledge Research in Asylum, Migration and Refugee Law
Availabletitlesinthisseriesinclude:
RefugeeProtectionandtheRoleofLaw
ConflictingIdentities
EditedbySusanKneebone,DallalStevens,LorettaBaldassar
GenderinRefugeeLaw
FromtheMarginstotheCentre
EfratArbel,CatherineDauvergne,JenniMillbank
Forthcomingtitlesinthisseriesinclude:
EuropeanAsylumLawandtheRightsoftheChild
CiaraSmyth
AsylumLawintheEuropeanUnion
FrancescoCherubini
TheSocio-EconomicRightsofAsylumSeekers
LiamThornton
Asylum-SeekerandRefugeeProtectioninSub-SaharanAfrica
ThePeregrinationofaPersecutedHumanBeinginSearch
ofaSafeHaven
CristianoD’Orsi
Migrant Rights at Work
Law’s Precariousness at the Intersection
of Immigration and Labour
Laurie Berg
Firstpublished2016
byRoutledge
2ParkSquare,MiltonPark,Abingdon,Oxon,OX144RN
andbyRoutledge
711ThirdAvenue,NewYork,NY10017
RoutledgeisanimprintoftheTaylor&FrancisGroup,aninformabusiness
©2016LaurieBerg
TherightofLaurieBergtobeidentifiedasauthorofthisworkhas
beenassertedbyherinaccordancewithsections77and78ofthe
Copyright,DesignsandPatentsAct1988.
Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthisbookmaybereprintedorreproduced
orutilisedinanyformorbyanyelectronic,mechanical,orothermeans,
nowknownorhereafterinvented,includingphotocopyingandrecording,
orinanyinformationstorageorretrievalsystem,withoutpermissionin
writingfromthepublishers.
Trademarknotice:Productorcorporatenamesmaybetrademarksor
registeredtrademarks,andareusedonlyforidentificationand
explanationwithoutintenttoinfringe.
BritishLibraryCataloguinginPublicationData
AcataloguerecordforthisbookisavailablefromtheBritishLibrary
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Berg,Laurie,author.
Migrantrightsatwork:law'sprecariousnessattheintersection
ofmigrationandlabour/LaurieBerg.
pagescm.--(Routledgeresearchinasylum,migrationandrefugeelaw)
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
ISBN978-1-138-80555-2(hardback)--ISBN978-1-315-75232-7(pbk)
1.Foreignworkers--Legalstatus,laws,etc.--Australia.I.Title.
KU1278.A44B472015
344.9401'162--dc23
2015003900
ISBN:978-1-138-80555-2(hbk)
ISBN:978-1-315-75232-7(ebk)
TypesetinBaskervilleby
FishBooksLtd.
Contents
Acknowledgements vii
Listofabbreviations ix
Foreword xiii
1 Migrantrightsatwork 1
2 Inclusionandprecariousness 16
PARTI
Temporarymigrantlabour 47
3 Keepingupthe‘Australianstandard’:theregulation
oftemporarymigrantworkersinAustralia 49
4 Workerprotectionforwhichworkers?:successivereforms
tothetemporaryskilled457visaprogramme 107
PARTII
Unauthorisedmigrantlabour 147
5 Howimmigrationcontrolsproduceunauthorised
migrantworkers 149
6 Ajurisprudenceofunauthorisedwork 167
7 Employersanctionsagainstunauthorisedworkers 196
vi Contents
PARTIII
Forcedmigrantlabour 223
8 Workingwithcoercion:labourtraffickinginAustralia 225
9 Gettingourprioritiesstraight:connectingforced
labourandlabour 259
10 Conclusion 286
Selectbibliography 297
Index 316
Acknowledgements
Inpreparingthiswork,Ihavebeenfortunatetohavereceivedagreatdeal
of warm counsel and encouragement. I would particularly like to thank
colleagues at the Law Faculty, University of Technology, Sydney and
Anti-Slavery Australia, who have created a stimulating work environment
andimmeasurablyhelpedmedeepenmythinkingontheissuesaddressed
in this book. I have benefited greatly from the knowledge and advice of
othersinthefield,especiallyattheUniversityofSydney.Iamindebtedto
Professors Mary Crock and Ron McCallum who have shared their wide-
ranging academic knowledge and advice, and Professor Terry Carney for
his unwavering wisdom, guidance and support. I am especially grateful to
Professors François Crépeau, Cathryn Costello and Rosemary Owens AO
andDrJoannaHowewhoofferedgenerousandincisivefeedbackondrafts
ofthiswork.
Sincerethanksarealsoduetothosewhohavegivenshapetothisbookin
itsfinalform.TheeditorialteamatRoutledgehasbeenextremelysupport-
iveandapleasuretoworkwith,especiallyMarkSapwell,AnnabelleHarris,
KarlHarrington,DamianPenfoldandAbigailPukaniuk.ThankyouGlenda
Brownefortheindex.IalsothankDouglasMcDonald,CostaAvgoustinos,
FreyaNewmanandKatiePoidomanifortheirexemplaryeditingassistance.
MysonLouwasbornasIwasfinishingthisbook,bringingsparklingjoy
and inspiring me to stay attuned to what is most important. My deepest
thanks go to my parents, Carol and Tony Berg, my friends and Annie for
theirunstintingsupportandforkeepingme(relatively)sanethroughthis
journey. I will also always be tremendously grateful to the many migrant
workers who have shared their difficult experiences living and working in
thiscountry.Theirresilienceanddeterminationhasguidedthiswork.
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Abbreviations
ACT AustralianCapitalTerritory
ACTU AustralianCouncilofTradeUnions
AFL-CIO AmericanFederationofLaborandCongress
ofIndustrialOrganizations
AFP AustralianFederalPolice
AGD AustralianCommonwealthAttorney-General’s
Department
AIC AustralianInstituteofCriminology
ALP AustralianLaborParty
ANAO AustralianNationalAuditOffice
ASCO AustralianStandardClassificationof
Occupations
AWA AustralianWorkplaceAgreement
BVE subclass050BridgingvisaE
BVF subclass060BridgingvisaF
CDPP AustralianCommonwealthDirectorofPublic
Prosecutions
CFMEU ConstructionForestryMiningandEnergy
Union
CJSV subclass951CriminalJusticeStayvisa
CLR CommonwealthLawReports
CriminalCode CriminalCode1995(Cth)
CSOL ConsolidatedSponsoredOccupationList
Cth CommonwealthofAustralia
DCNSW DistrictCourtofNewSouthWales
DEEWR AustralianDepartmentofEducation,
EmploymentandWorkplaceRelations
DEWR AustralianDepartmentofEmploymentand
WorkplaceRelations
DIAC AustralianDepartmentofImmigrationand
Citizenship
DIEA AustralianDepartmentofImmigrationand
EthnicAffairs