10-dollar salary

The story of part-time jobs

What will you say when an employer offers you a job in Sydney with the hourly payment rate of 10 dollars? You may shurg your shoulders to refuse because of such a very low hourly payment. But the employer will never change his mind to raise the payment rate as he knows that a lot of international students are waiting outside to undertake the job.

Australia is a heaven for many international students, especially those coming from Asian developing countries. Australia is mentioned as a country with good study, cheap consumption prices, clean environment and available jobs. The open immigration policy and excellent marketing ability of universities have drawn an increasing number of students from Asian countries (more than 160,000 in 2000). Representatives of educational companies promise the students an ideal life in Australia where you can easily find high-paid jobs. In fact, it’s a fierce competition to find a good job. I have been told many stories of the 10-dollar jobs from my friends and from my own experience in Sydney.

Let me tell you my own story. I was accepted to work as a waitress for a Vietnamese restaurant in Marrickville thanks to my smiling face and strong communication. I tried to work hard for two consecutive days in a hope that the boss would be pleased at me and he would pay me 12AUD/hour. At 9pm of Sunday, the boss told me that I should try to work better in the kitchen (???) so he would pay me 8AUD/hour. This weekend was the no-salary week of apprenticeship. Of course, I quitted the job immediately and had enough strong arguments to get my 2-day wage. I tried to work for another Vietnamese restaurant and a Pakistani restaurant but the 8-dollar story repeated. I walked to home in that windy late night of July with a decision that I would spend time studying than working for the 8-dollar hourly payment.

A Vietnamese restaurant in Marrickville, Sydney

My experience is just one of a number of the same stories among international students. The 10-dollar rate is called the average rate and 8 dollars is the low rate.

Students are paid cash in hand so they have no connection with the employer or receive no benefit of superannuation and income tax. You can be selected by a phone call but also be fired by a phone call.

Who are the employers who offer international students the very low rate? They are Australian local residents of Asian origin. Many of the owners can’t speak a complete English sentence but they well understand the situation of international studentsl and are smart at avoiding rangers’ inspection. They know that students need money and jobs but have little time for searching jobs or reading labour laws. They know that 8 dollars/hour is a much higher payment rate compared with those in Asian developing countries. When you pay your employees, in this way, you certainly break Australian law. But no one has been punished.

I have asked some students to quit the 10-dollar job or demand for higher salary but they refuse. They said they are worried to lose the job which is helping them ease the rising house rent and food expenses. They only quit the job if they find a better one.

(to be continue…I’m trying to interview an employee and an employer!!!)