LAKHVIR Pandher had high hopes for his new life when he arrived in Australia in 2008.
After a taking a labouring job at a factory in Sunshine West while studying business at Victoria University, Mr Pandher felt like he was settling into life in his new homeland.
But last September a workplace injury left him unable to continue working and has made everyday tasks like driving impossible.
The 27-year-old is still undergoing tests to determine whether he will need spinal surgery.
“I was made to lift and stack more than 40 kilograms at once and in doing so I damaged my back and my neck,” Mr Pandher says.
“I was in so much pain I couldn’t go to work. I told my boss, who said it was my own fault for lifting that much . . . even though he’d told me to do it.”
Sunshine lawyer Kofi Osei, a senior solicitor with Shine Lawyers, says Mr Pandher’s case is not unique.
A survivor of a military coup in Ghana, Mr Osei understands the law better than most and has a desire to protect Brimbank’s most vulnerable.
“Some of our clients, particularly from the growing Indian, African, Burmese and Afghan communities in the western suburbs, are unaware of their rights in the workplace and that is very concerning to me,” he says.
“I recently encountered a worker who had suffered chemical burns to his lower leg. He was taken to the GP but told to say it was a hot water burn.
“The worker is still undergoing treatment almost two years after the injury and there’s a real risk of him losing his lower leg if things don’t improve.”
Mr Osei receives WorkCover claims from migrants at least once a week, many of them too afraid to report their injury for fear of losing their job.
“Raising awareness among these groups needs to be prioritised,” he says. “In Lakhvir’s case, he can’t walk, he can’t sleep because he’s in constant pain and he relies on strong pain killers just to get through the day.”
Mr Osei, who migrated to Australia in 1994, has completed four degrees: a bachelor of health science and bachelor of law, a master of public health and a graduate diploma in health services management.
As well as his legal work he is a registered nurse and works in the emergency department of Sunshine Hospital each Saturday.
“Both jobs offer me the unique opportunity to assist the vulnerable,” Mr Osei offers free consultations for migrants with workplace injuries.
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