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Backpackers were allegedly fired because they asked for water

A harvest work contractor in Bundaberg, Queensland who allegedly deprived his workers of water, has highlighted the importance of backpackers knowing their rights at work.

The Sydney Morning Herald has reported the alleged ill-treatment of at least seven backpackers who told the paper they “felt like slaves” and claimed they were sacked by a harvest work contractor for requesting water.

The contractor at the centre of the scandal, Mehmet “Max” Tosun, who operates East Bundy Backpackers with his wife Calie, refused to speak to the Herald but told the town’s local paper “they need to be told what to do” with his wife adding “I’ve heard people complain about the work, but if they don’t like it they can leave”.

Allegations against Tosun include the sacking of fruitpickers when they request water and evicting them from his hostel despite them having paid for a week’s accommodation in advance.

The backpackers interviewed by the SMH also claimed they were underpaid with one allegedly receiving as little as $9.60 for the day after being paid per bucket filled rather than by the hour. A spokesman for the Fair Work Ombudsman said piece rates should only be paid if the worker receives at least the federal minimum hourly wage.

SP Exports, who owns the farm on which the backpackers worked, has terminated its contract with Tosun.

Meanwhile, owners of The Panda Motel in Childers, where the Tosuns owned a lease on the property, have terminated the agreement with the couple claiming the accommodation’s 45-year-long good reputation was damaged by the pair in the ten months they were at the helm.

The property will be rebranded as Childers Backpacker Motel and the lease taken over by those who run the nearby Sugarbowl Caravan Park.