Just over a week into my new career as a vineyard pruner, things were looking grim. We had been promised several months of continuous work on a number of vineyards but we were close to finishing our first plot and details beyond that were sketchy. We were told we would have to head south to a place called Margaret River and wait a few days before work was again available. To make matters worse, accommodation facilities were medieval and wages were looking like they would be far short of what was promised. With no real alternative available, I headed to Margaret River and waited for the call to say work was beginning again. It didn't come.

I worked on quite a few articles about the exploitation of foreign labour during my time with Metro Eireann but never thought I would experience it myself. I wasn't a happy camper and just couldn't take it on the chin. I decided to fill a few people in on the way the company I was working for had treated me and my colleagues, all of whom were foreigners. In the interest of fairness, I emailed XXXX, the co-owner of the company and the person who had given me the job, to let her know about why I was angry and what I intended to do about it. The following is an excerpt from my correspondence with her:

“Dear XXXX,

It's been a number of weeks since anyone from XXXXXXX XXXXXX has been in contact and I can only assume that my employment has been terminated. However, I do not feel I can let things rest until I outline some grievances I have and more importantly from your point of view, detail what I intend to do about them.

Your company placed an add on Gumtree promising $1,000-plus per week for experienced pruners and up to $1,000 for inexperienced workers. Emails I have received from you said that I would be working for two weeks in Dandaragon before transferring immediately to Margaret River. Despite the best efforts of the team it became immediately clear that nobody would be making the sort of money promised. In fact, practically everyone made less than the minimum wage.

Although we were promised two week's work in Dandaragon, this was reduced at short notice to just nine days. We were given guarantees of steady employment with free accommodation but instead were cut adrift with no wages just over a week in. Sadly, this apparently unforeseen break in our work schedule stretched on and the lines of communication broke down – mainly because your company completely ignored my numerous phone calls and emails. Eventually, I called your phone on one occasion only to be told by an operator that my number had been blocked.

It was around this time that our pay day arrived. Unfortunately, it went without any sign of payment. When my wages finally did arrive over a week late it was a paltry $580.

Another relevant point is the accommodation you provided; it was semi-derelict. I have travelled to some of the poorest countries in the world and I can safely say that I have never had to contend with such squalor. Like some of your other staff I opted to stay in a tent rather than the 'house' but I was forced to use the filthy, antiquated toilets and shower facilities. The place actually defies description but luckily, I had the presence of mind to take some photos.

I didn't expect to make my fortune when I signed up to work as a pruner. What I did expect was to be treated fairly and to receive a decent day's pay for a decent day's work. Instead, I was paid below the national minimum wage, endured a litany of broken promises and was treated like I was disposable, ignorable and not worth the time it takes to reply to an email or return a phone call.

Anyway, as you know, I am a Masters in Journalism graduate and spent much of the past three years working in the media industry for a variety of publications. At present, I am working on an article about the exploitation of foreign workers on Australia's farms and in particular, on vineyards. I will be pitching this article to a number of local, regional and national papers. My pitch will include the details of my time with your company and quotes from other persons who have had the misfortune to have dealings with XXXXXXXX XXXXXX. To add some colour, I'll also include some photos of the house you put us up in.

I have also taken it upon myself to inform as many vineyards as I can of the treatment your company metes out to its immigrant labourers. I will be drawing up a detailed account and circulating it by email and by post directly to vineyards with a suggestion that they think carefully before rewarding any contracts to companies with dubious track-records with regard to the treatment of workers. I will also send copies to other contractors – your competitors – of which I already have an exhaustive list.

Best Regards,

Robert Carry.”

I contacted newspapers and vineyards as promised and afterwards felt much better about the situation. One local paper even put a story on the subject on its front page. I also quickly found work with another vineyard contractor once in Margaret River and they proved to have fair employment practices. Exploitation is rampant in the sector but at least I wasn't a victim for too long.