Bundy backpackers say 'enough' | Bundaberg News | Local News in Bundaberg

cali posun and this max and andrew phillips must be the only people in bundaberg not to know of the validity of these complaints of backpackers but the fact it has been going on for years much to the shame of the bundaberg community. people of bundaberg are always saying something must be done about it but nothing ever is. every one also is talking about what they are charged a week at the hostels for what they get in return . a bed in a room with sixteen other people-------2500 a week for a dorm--they hung ned kelly for that. max the yeller says it the yelling makes people work----here is where your bullying laws should start------is not yelling and threatning people so as to place fear of the sack in to them on a constant basis not the lowest form of bullying. i will say it again-----backpackers stay away from bundy even though we will miss you until the attitude of the hostels and the farmers towards you changes and judging on the past here and knowing bundaberg from a child that is not going to happen--thank you

i dont know why the dont rejoice at being treated like an australian seasonal worker .some local growers wont even employ aussie slaves due to backpackers wanting to be treated better or at least reasonabley so now aussies have the same rights that the backpackers wanted they wont be employed take t4 at s&p as an example two years ago two hudred aussies go and have a spot the aussie day out there

i tell you this, i dont think backpackers will get anymore work in bundaberg & i hope they dont. you think you should come here & sit on there ass doing nothing all day & expect to get 17.60 an hour for. well i think it sounds more like you have met a farmer who will not tolerate your crap work ethics, i have worked on a farm with backpackers & i have seen how they work & act & belive me there is two sides to this story

I have worked with back packers and seen first hand the dodgy dealing that they have to put up with.

I have seen a bus load turn up for work then the farmer called off picking for the day after 1 hour because the prices dropped at the market. Those back packers had to wait until 4pm for there bus to come back and pick them up. This would be called your days guaranteed work, 1hour.

No toilets or extra water either.

These poor people, I live where a lot of backpackers are picking and I have driven numerous people to Bundaberg after they just can no longer take the abuse, disrespect and lack of breaks / water. i have collected people from side of road as they are walking back to Bundy. The poor workers are treated like slaves and I can hear supervisors yelling at them over the machinery noise. The fact these "contractors" are allowed to operate is a disgrace, one in particular will not accept local people to work for him and opts for backpackers so he can not pay correct wages and give legal treatment, they know that there is always people needing work as backpackers so if they annoy a few so what, hostel will send more, and more and more. The whole system should be re assessed, dodgy from start to finish, ashamed to have this on my front doorstep, ashamed of having these people living in a town where tourist rely on employment. SHAME ON YOU !!!!!!!!!!!

Didn't I told that in the past..???
Backpackers are exploited something shocking..!
This Bundaberg monopoly security blanketed syndicate needs to be smashed at once..!
Those poor suckers had to pay $161 each a week for a 16-person dorm room and $42 each for bus travel to and from the farm, in return for guaranteed work.
This is on the same level of a pigsty, at least those animals get treated better with daily feed, water and a free roof over the head.
What value has a human this days..???

I picked fruit for a few seasons in the Goulburn Valley (Mooroopna) and also at Stanthorpe. In the Goulburn Valley the conditions were so bad that the then AWU stepped in and forced the growers to provide free barracks type accomodation and cheap, nourishing Aussie style home cooked meals at cost. Stanthorpe provided accomodation at minimal cost, Orange and Merbein was find-your-own. The point I'm trying to make is that the pickers are being ripped off. Get the union involved. For those pickers who won't work or don't know how to work, pay them piece rates. I've found that piece rates sorts the wheat from the chaff every time. The poor workers get what thry deserve
and the good workers get what they deserve. No arguments then.

I was a backpacker in Australia and worked in Qld (not Bundaberg) for 3 months picking bananas in 2008. The first thing I realised was that if I worked hard I was treated properly. Some backpackers expect to be able to bludge all day but when you are working in agriculture you can't spend 5 hours each day on facebook like in an office job and expect to be paid.

My hostel was $140 for a four bed dorm and the farmer picked us up each day for free (20 mins out of his way to do so). It seemed to me that the hostel owner who sorted out the jobs had a good eye for who would work hard and who wouldn't - I don't think it was co-incidence that all of us who worked hard got given the best jobs.

We worked hard all day every day but had proper smoko breaks and heaps of water. No-one that I knew ever had any problem with getting paid. Because we got on so well with the owner of the farm he invited us round to watch State of Origin and took us pig hunting and fishing on the weekends.

My advice to other backpackers would be to make sure you know that you are capable of this kind of work before you start and to commit to doing at least 8 weeks - my experience was that if you put in the effort and commitment you got the same back from the employer.

I worked for max over summer when there was lots of work and I can verify all that is written in this article is correct. We were working about 80 hours a week, starting at 5 am and often finishing around 6 pm. We would stop half an hour for lunch and end up only getting paid for about 60 hours a week. I had some days where I worked 10 hours, but only got paid for 7.5.He docks time for harvester breaking down, getting bogged, moving the machine to different blocks and for missing too much fruit. The reason why too much fruit is missed in the first place because they pace the machine too fast, even for experienced fruit pickers such as myself it was usually too fast, but for people who are new to job its impossible. Australian's can't get jobs on farm unless they stay in hostel and pay the exorbitant rates. If backpackers leave the hostel for different accommodation, they lose their employment. What Max does now the main season is over, is to try and maintain a full hostel. The problem is, its the off season and he can't provide enough work for everyone. Staying in his accommodation plus living costs, far exceed the amount you earn. The working condition are ridiculous, sure harvester jobs are difficult, but these people need to be treated with more respect. I definitely consider this modern day slave labour.

I've got a similar story of a friend of mine whom was promised $160 to $200 per day for five days working on a tomato farm in Bundaberg.This was only two days ago and she arrived at the East Bundaberg Backpackers and was told that there was only three days work a week with a pay of $40/day. The other trick is that she was looking for work in other areas but decided to go to Bundy because of the promised rate and now will not be able to get the weeks accomodation refunded. These are not stories that our tourism industry needs. We will have labour shortages heading our way shortly with the resources boom and these workers will steer clear of Bundy.