Massage & Myotherapy Australia has welcomed the Final Report from the Review of the Migration System as a first but very important step to addressing the many problems associated with the current visa program.
Ann Davey, CEO Massage & Myotherapy Australia said, 'Australia's temporary and skilled migration program has opened a floodgate of poorly trained massage workers, as a source of cheap and temporary labour, for the many quasi-massage shops that dot the county.
'Offering anything from spa style massage to legal and illegal sexual services, the oversupply of cheap unskilled labour has caused numerous and serious problems for Australia's professional massage sector,' Mrs Davey said.
'Australia has never had a serious skills shortage in qualified, professional massage therapists and the extraordinary influx of low skilled massage workers has led to confusion and a lack of understanding across the health sector and community about the competencies and benefits of health-related massage,' Mrs Davey said.
'The Report correctly identifies that the current program can allow systemic exploitation and an emerging permanently temporary underclass, which has been well documented in the media and by organisation that assist migrant workers.
Australian temporary and skilled migration program has not kept pace with the substantial improvements in professional development including the higher education and competency standards, or the demands or needs of the healthcare sector.
The Complementary Health Industry Reference Committee 2019[i] reported that over recent times treatment practices for massage therapists, as well as the wider professional Complementary Health workforce, have evolved significantly.
'Such change has resulted in evolving skill and competence requirements for the workforce. The sector overall has been experiencing several challenges which are impacting workforce skill requirements and include Government policy/legislation.'
This includes full inclusion in the National Qualifications Framework, and the recognition as healthcare providers under the Private health Insurance Rebate scheme and the state-based worker and accident rehabilitation schemes.
Mrs Davey said, 'The professional massage sector is a female-dominated sector of complementary health, with a ratio of approximately 4:1 women to men.
'Professional massage association membership does not discriminate against the origins of massage modalities used, such as Chinese, Shiatsu, or Thai, however, Australia's massage sector is now oversupplied and saturated with low skilled or poorly-trained massage therapists.'
The results of this include well below average wages, limited full-time employment opportunities and a lack of recognition of the skills and competencies of the professional massage therapists that provide services in healthcare. For example:
- During the 10 years to end 2019, massage employment numbers reportedly grew by 16.8 per cent in Australia.[ii] However, there is no evidence that demand for professional massage therapy services or full-time employment grew at the same rate.
- Less than a third of the people employed in the massage sector reported working full-time (29.9%). This compares poorly to the national average of 40.2 per cent. Full-time massage workers on an adult wage earn around $1,038 per week (lower than the average $1,460).[iii]
- A 2017 Australian study of Australia's complementary medicine workforce found that the average number of hours per week in which therapists are engaged in massage was 18.6 hours, and myotherapy and musculoskeletal therapy was 21.3 hours per week.[iv]
The Associations collectively often find profound deficiencies in the training, knowledge, and skills of temporary and skilled visa holders.
'Generally, there are issues with English as a second language and clinical notes are required to be completed in English,' Mrs Davey said.
'This includes poor communication with the client due to language barriers leading to limited understanding of the client's health risks or needs, e.g., contraindications, cancer and pregnancy
'We also find that many have a poor understanding of human physiology, and very limited understanding of the National Code of Conduct for Unregistered Healthcare Workers including health complaints laws and laws that regulate specific activities, such as the use of medicines, therapeutic goods and medical radiation equipment
'As a result, professional Associations and the Health Insurance Funds among others do not recognise undergraduate courses delivered substantially by distance, online or external modes, or gained outside Australia.
'We look forward to further developments as work is completed to gain a full understanding of the issues associated with Australia's current visa programs,' Mrs Davey said.
