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This report shows that some international students are being exploited and suffering racism in the workplace. In 2011, almost 300,000 international students began their studies in Australia. Many find they must work to support themselves and the government recognises that, allowing them to work for 40 hours a fortnight during term time. There has been little research on the working experiences of international students in Australia. In the retail cleaning industry, many international students are exploited because the industry is in crisis. New contractors, having won a cleaning contract at a low price from large shopping centre owners and considering their profitability, intensify the workloads of the cleaners they employ. This means demanding that cleaners do more work in less time, leading to extreme workloads that can impact upon the health and safety of their cleaners. Hygiene can also suffer, as cleaners are forced to take shortcuts. It can also mean cutting pay or conditions. This report highlights the need for shopping centre owners to support reform of the retail industry and end a crisis that is putting the welfare of its workers at risk.

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