The Labour Mobility Unit within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade is warning the public over bogus agents collecting upfront payments from people with the promise of work in Australia.
The LMU is aware certain individuals are collecting payments of up to $100 Australian Dollars, documents from the public and sending people to do medical check-ups as a prerequisite to getting a job in Australia.
A certain individual has also claimed to be recruiting for an Australian Company not part of the PALM scheme Approved Employers.
The public is strongly advised that there are no recruiting agents associated with any part of this process and that there is no application fee.
It is important for the Public to know that there are NO agents for the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) Scheme or the Australian labour mobility programs.
In the Solomon Islands, the only registered agents are for the New Zealand labour mobility program or the RSE. The public is therefore asked to report to the Police if they have been wronged by people acting as bogus agents.
There are benefits for workers going through the right process facilitated through the Labour Mobility Unit to work in Australia under the PALM Scheme.
Two significant benefits of being a PALM worker is the provision of Health Insurance and superannuation payments. Secondly, workers under the PALM scheme are also supported by a number of Australian and Solomon Islands Government support systems and institutions to ensure workers welfare and wellbeing.
Workers not employed under PALM would not benefit from these provisions that continues to grow the scheme as a catalyst for improving the standard of living for thousands of Solomon Islanders in recent times.
Workers who work illegally in Australia are also vulnerable to exploitation by unscrupulous contractors who have been known to take advantage of workers and their undocumented work status.
