A few days ago I left Bundaberg, looking toward new experiences that would hopefully improve the negative feelings I developed for Australia whilst there. The way backpackers are treated both by the hostels and the farms in that town leave so much to be desired.
Things became less shocking and the accepted norm, as one incident after another occurred.
On our first day of work we were told to tick all boxes on the health and safety checklist to say talks and training had been completed (it hadn’t), before being thrown into a line of fast moving packing, with what would barely class as a summary for what the job entails. Subsequently, you can be sure you will spend the day being barked at as you fail to do your job (while you try to fully work out what that is!)
There was to be no talking, laughing or smiling while you worked (though don’t expect any permanent staff to take heed of these rules), no leaning as your back aches from standing stationary for hours (irritatingly told to me by a woman who spent half her day sat perched on the edge of the machine).
Not normally one to be involved in conflict, after being accused of getting lazy as we slowed near the end of a 12 hour shift, it took a lot of restraint to hold back a retort. This from the woman who seemed to make it her daily mission to walk around trying to look busy, criticising our production and doing as little work as possible herself.
The day I saw a girl accidentally cut get hand with the secateurs we use to cut the stalks on the capsicums was wrong to me on so many levels. Accused of messing with her hand rather than working when she tried to return to work she was told she could finish for the day (though did later return wearing a glove), with no concern as to if she was okay, at no point did anyone think to clean the tool that had hurt her and there was most definitely no work incident report.
The place, to us, was nothing short of ridiculous. A point culminating for me with the conveyor belt system for the capsicums which, being straight instead of circular, meant that people at the end of the row spent half their time throwing capsicums back down the line…
So there you have it, I think one of the more trying four weeks of my life. We were able to look at our working situation and laugh, most likely because we all knew we were able to leave. For better or worse, Bundaberg has given me memories I will never forget and introduced some wonderful new (travelling) people into my life.
