Event organizer Kara Keys told NITV the action was “against the Community Development Program”, an Indigenous-specific Work for the Dole program. Keys believes that under this initiative Indigenous workers are “forced into labour and not attracting any of the employment standards that we would take for granted here in Australia.
“They’re forced into 25 hours’ worth of work. They have no superannuation, they have no conditions of employment, and they have no coverage from the Federal Occupational Work Health and Safety and Worker’s Compensations Acts.”
The theme of the protest was #Wagejusticenow, which trended on Twitter. The protest used old Wave Hill petitions and memorabilia as part of the art installation.
Celeste Liddle, National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Organiser for the National Tertiary Education Union told NITV: "people are pretty angry at the program, especially in the wake of the 50th Anniversary of Wave Hill."
“Australia has a history of exploiting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The fact that the labour of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is still disregarded is a disgrace. This shows how far we’ve still got to go”.
