A recent decision from the Fair Work Commission has led to nation-wide changes to Australia’s fruit-picking industries, where a $25 minimum wage has been implemented for casual pickers.  

While this week’s decision is seen as a win for workers, the game changing manoeuvre has fruit and vegetable growers worried that the change in work structure could damage a finely tuned machine.  

Owner of Narromine orchard and orange juice company Mumble Peg, Trevor Roberts says that pickers will never stay in a job for conditions that aren’t good enough when job opportunities are everywhere. 

“It looks after itself. If you don’t pay them well, they go,” said Mr Roberts.  

The decision announced on November 3, follows a case launched by the Australian Workers’ Union (AWU) in July this year in attempt to secure fruit and vegetable pickers ‘at least minimum wage’, which is currently $25.41 per hour.  

Prior to this week, ‘piece rates’ were commonplace for fruit and vegetable harvests, which based workers’ rates around how much was picked, rather than hours working.  

At Mumble Peg, Mr Roberts says that his workers can make up to $400 a day if they want to, or $100 a day if they’re having a bad day. According to him, reducing the workers’ freedom to work how and when they work would be an unpopular decision amongst pickers.  

“There’s a lot of freedom in variability. Workers can start their day when they like and finish when they like. Some go have a rest in the heat and get back out for the last two hours. It’s power in flexibility,” he said.  

Mr Roberts says working on an hourly wage would reduce that freedom because they can’t break whenever they want, as they need to work through the hour and need constant supervision to ensure that they do. 

Perhaps to counter this, the AWU’s proposed amendment still allowed for piece rate arrangements, though they must guarantee that each worker would be paid the award rate as a floor.  

The amendment followed horror stories in the media of workers – particularly international workers needing to fulfil their visa requirements – who were making $3 an hour from their picking jobs.  

While Mr Roberts says that these stories are ‘sensationally extreme’ and that he hasn’t encountered this type of piece rate, the previous lack of industry standards that allowed employers to set their piece rates make it quite possible.  

The introduction of a minimum wage floor will introduce this industry standard. The new award is a promising progression for workers vulnerable to exploitation and wage theft. Still, the true test will be its implementation, and the shift from flexible and varied work hours to a stricter work ethic.