Migrant Employment Legal Service launches!

MELS Community Worker, Tu Le, presenting to service providers at Blacktown City Council, October 2019.

 

A new state-wide service is now available for migrant workers across New South Wales.

The Inner City Legal Centre, Kingsford Legal Centre, Marrickville Legal Centre and Redfern Legal Centre have together established the service to address the employment exploitation of migrant workers.

Underpayments, non-payment of wages, bullying and sexual harassment are common workplace complaints. Migrant workers experiencing these problems can face unique challenges when seeking help. Language barriers, unfamiliarity with the Australian legal system, as well as immigration and visa concerns can create barriers to accessing legal help. Migrant workers may also have limited time in Australia to pursue a claim, or may simply believe they would not be successful if they did so.

The Migrant Employment Legal Service (MELS) seeks to address exploitation of migrant workers through  free legal advice, legal representation and engaging with communities to provide information and education.

MELS regularly delivers outreach and education to support communities with culturally appropriate information on employment related matters.

The Migrant Employment Legal Service can be contacted on 02 8002 1203, Mondays to Fridays from 9am to 5pm.

To see where MELS are this week, or to get in touch, visit Migrant Employment Legal Service on Facebook.