MADEC Australia to conduct audit, refund farm workers after housing standards breach

 The labour hire watchdog has stopped short of revoking the licence of a major contractor despite a finding that it procured "substandard" and "overcrowded" housing.

MADEC Australia, which supplies housing for the labourers it hires out to farms, was investigated by the Labour Hire Authority (LHA) after a parliamentary inquiry heard complaints from seasonal workers about their living conditions.

The workers told the Senate Committee on Job Security earlier this year that MADEC allegedly made unreasonable deductions to their pay for accommodation costs and that they were housed in unsuitable boarding rooms, including some without an air conditioner or fan.

Read More: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-08-04/madec-labour-hire-providers-on-notice-mildura/101301100