Barbara Pocock (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today, I want to speak about a group of vulnerable, insecure workers who are standing up for their rights in South Australia. 'Perfection 12', as they are popularly known, is a group of very brave women who are bringing the biggest sexual harassment case in Australia before the Federal Court. They are 12 women of colour who are fighting for justice, respect and safety, not just for themselves but for every single woman working in the Perfection Fresh glasshouse at Two Wells, north of Adelaide.

Perfection Fresh is one of the largest fruit and vegetable producers in Australia and supplies the major supermarket chains. These workers claim that sexual harassment has been widespread in their workplace. The details are truly shocking. These farm workers, all members of the United Workers Union, were employed by a labour hire company to perform contract work at the Two Wells glasshouse. They are suing Perfection Fresh for close to $4 million, but they say it is not about the money. They are fighting to win permanent change for themselves and for all of the women who work inside the glasshouse.

Those who lack power in our workplaces deserve a better deal. They deserve to be safe at work. They need stable, ongoing employment, freedom from harassment, a say over their rosters and the right to join a union. The 'Perfection 12' have endured gross and degrading behaviour in the workplace, and Australia should not tolerate circumstances such as these for any workers, let alone our most vulnerable. Our food production should not be built on such exploitation. After decades of information and experience across this country about sexual harassment and about ways to prevent it, it is truly shocking that it still happens in this way on this scale. It must stop. Best wishes to everyone who is part of that struggle and to the 'Perfection 12'.