Leonito came to Australia from Timor-Leste to work on a farm. He worked as a fruit picker until he was injured at work and later unfairly dismissed. 

“When I had the injury, I thought my future would finish here. I couldn’t work anymore,” he says. 

Leonito was injured while picking avocados. When he reported the injury to his manager, he was only advised to rest and take painkillers. But the pain continued to get worse, and he felt that his situation was being ignored. 

“One day, I almost fell down because of the pain, and all my friends ran to me,” he recalls. 

Leonito’s co-workers stepped in to help him, transporting him to hospital, where he received medical treatment and had his injury assessed. 

Once he came back, Leonito shared the results of his medical assessment with his employer and the company’s HR department but did not receive support to access WorkCover or reimbursement for his medical expenses. After that, he received a letter terminating his employment.  

“It was very terrible and hard for me at the time because I didn’t have any money. I had already spent it all on my health and they didn’t reimburse anything,” he says. 

Managing his injury without an income or financial support placed Leonito in a difficult position. He felt that his employer did not care about his injury or the impact it was having on his life. 

Leonito believes his experience reflects a wider issue affecting migrant workers in Australia. 

“Discrimination in Australia is not only me, it’s a lot of people,” he says. “A lot of migrants who come here have similar issues.” 

With support from the Migrant Workers Centre, Leonito obtained a Workplace Justice Visa. This allowed him to remain in Australia while seeking justice. Ultimately, he was able to recover a significant amount in compensation, helping him pay for the ongoing medical care he needed.