First for the red meat industry - voluntary code of conduct for the employment of migrant workers

AMPC has been working with industry for the past 12 months on the development of a voluntary code of conduct for the employment of migrant workers to support processors by underpinning its zero-tolerance view on the exploitation of workers, particularly migrants. 

AMPC Program Manager Amanda Carter said, “This is the first time our industry has developed something like this, and it has come about because of a push from processors to introduce consistent best practice management standards across all workplaces.” 

The code has been developed to support our sector through a certified and auditable set of guidelines which will help them in the management, recruitment and employment of migrants which is a complex area for employers to navigate on their own. The guidelines will provide a consistent best practice for the onboarding of migrants across all processing plants and ensure migrants have a positive experience in our workplace. 

This project forms part of AMPC’s people and culture research and development strategy which by 2030 aims to have the processing sector seen as a diverse, safe and attractive industry of choice for employment. 

AMPC Program Manager Amanda Carter said, “We developed the code through an industry working group consisting of about 20 processors from across Australia. The working group also included the Australian Meat Industry Council (AMIC), AUSMEAT and the Grocery Council of Australia.”

The code was developed in consultation with the working group. The working group validated the draft code and it’s compliance guide prior to it being trialled at five pilot sites.

Amanda said, “The key thing identified from this project is that the onboarding of new migrant workers when they enter Australia is an area that can and will improve through the adoption of the code of conduct.

“The code will also be instrumental in helping companies new to bringing in foreign labour. It will provide them with a checklist of things they need to consider.”

The next steps are for industry to adopt the voluntary code and AMPC is in the process of determining a code administrator to help industry do this.