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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Stephanie Convery, inequality reporter

‘Like I’ve been jailed’: after a lifetime of piecework, textile outworkers can retire with no super

Rachel Reilly Refugee South Vietnam Vietnam
My Linh, who arrived in Australia as a refugee from Vietnam in 1982, never got holidays, sick pay or superannuation for the years she spent sewing clothes at home for the garment industry.
My Linh, who arrived in Australia as a refugee from Vietnam in 1982, never got holidays, sick pay or superannuation for the years she spent sewing clothes at home for the garment industry. Photograph: Penny Stephens/The Guardian

My Linh describes her time spent as an outworker in the Australian garment industry as feeling as though “I’ve been jailed”.

“That time was very hard, very hard to look after children, to look after my family and no time to do anything [but work]. Just stay home, stay home, no holiday, no nothing,” she says.

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