This album is a work of resilience and solidarity.
These songs and interviews were recorded by members of the "Perfection 12", a group of union women fighting for justice after surviving sexual violence at Perfection Fresh.
The Perfection 12 were picking the mini-cucumbers Qukes in the glasshouses of Perfection Fresh. The UWU women have since called for a Qukes boycott.

CONTENT WARNING

The Bread and Roses campaign concerns sexual assault and harassment at Perfection Fresh, and may be distressing to some. 

If you need support, please contact 1800RESPECT.

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THE ALBUM
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TRACKLIST
LYRICS

Bread and Roses / Bret Mo Roses (cover)

 

As we go marching, marching,
Our home so far away,
A million darkened fields, 
Glasshouses dim and grey, 
Are touched with all the radiance, 
That a sudden sun discloses,
For the people hear us singing, 
“Bread and roses! Bread and roses!” 

Yumi ko matching, matching,
Haos blong Yumi I stap long wei,
Plante million ples I tu dak,
Long klas haos we I dak mo gray,
We sun I bonem strong,
We ol pipol blong mifala,
Old harem singsing ia,
"Bret mo roses! Bret mo roses!"

As we go marching, marching,  
Unnumbered women dead, 
Go crying through our singing, 
Their ancient cry for bread,
Small art and love and beauty,
Their tired spirits knew,
Yes, it is bread we fight for,
but we fight for roses too.

Yumi ko matching, matching,
No save hamas woman we oli ded,
Mifala I krai mo singsing,
From bred we I stap.
Wetem smol spirit blong art, beauty mo love,
We yumi save se I tait gud,
Yes hemi bret we yumi fait from,
Be yumi fait from roses tu.

As we go marching, marching, 
Sisters of south and north, 
Islands of peace and power, 
Together we’ll bring forth, 
Our lives shall not be sweated, 
From birth until life closes, 
Hearts starve as well as bodies, 
Give us bread but give us roses.

Yumi ko matching, matching,
Ol sista blong sout mo not,
Ol island we I kat pis mo pawa,
Ba yumi wokbaot wetem.
Ful laif blong yumi ba yumi
no save stap swet we taem,
Yumi bon kasem we yumi ded,
Hat tu I hungre olsen body,
Kivim bred be kivim roses tu. 

As we go marching, marching,
We are standing proud and tall,
The rising of the women,
Means the rising of us all.
The choirs of every glasshouse,
The women who pick tomatoes,
Sing together in strong voices, 
Give us roses! Give us roses!

Yumi ko matching, matching,
Yumi stand ap wetem hed
antap mo strong,
Ol women oli rise ap,
I minim se blong yumi
evriwan I mas rise ap,
Oli singsing lo evri klas haos,
Ol woman we oli pikmap tomato,
Oli singsing wetem strong vois blong olketa,
Kivim roses long mifala! Kivim roses long mifala!

Bread and Roses / Bret Mo Roses (cover)

Heat of the sun / Sun I Bonem Mi (cover - Marcelina Mete)

 

Mi bin livim bihain famli / I left my family back home,
Wetem tears mo trust / With tears but faith, 
Mi trust se bai / I trusted it.

Time mi stap ko from ol plans / I went with a plan, 
From pikinini blong mi / The plan I had for my children,
Promise blong mi i stap / And my promise still stands. 

Aaahhhiioooo, sun i bonem mi / Oh the sun burns me,
Sweat i karem mi evri dei / Sweating every day,
Body i so from ol wok / My body aches from farm work,
Challenge, hadsip / From the challenges, hardship,
Mo trust / Still there’s trust,
Mi no kivap / I won’t give up,
Mi no kivap from families / I won’t give up on my family,
Mo from ol pikinini blong mi / Nor on my children.

Wake up early morning / I still wake up early in the morning,
Kolkol i kilim mi / Despite the cold killing me, 
Be from se? / Do you know why?
Mi luvam yu! / I love you!

Heat of the sun / Sun I Bonem Mi (cover - Marcelina Mete)

My God / God Blo Mi (cover)

God blo mi I kat pawa
Blong I mekem evri samting mo hem 
I stap lukaot mi
Hem nomo I mekem wol ia
I mekem evri samting mo hem
I stap lukaot mi.

My God can do anything,
Anything, anything,
My God can do anything.
He made this world, 
And all his goodness,
And all that I shall bring,
My God can do anything. 

 

My God / God Blo Mi (cover)

It is Well / Hemi Oraet (cover)

When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll,
Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

It is well,
Hemi oraet,
Mauruku,
Ukarea,
With my soul,
Wetem sol blong mi,
Leduhu,
Lololongku.

It is well, it is well with my soul,
Hemi oraet, hemi oraet wetem sol blong mi,
Mauruku, lenduhu vevesaibong,
Ukarea, ukarea manalolongku.

No mata Satan I stap mekem ol trapol ikam
Ba mi stanap strong oltaem
From masta hemi stap olsem help blong mi oltaem
From we blad blong hem I ron from mi.

It is Well / Hemi Oraet (cover)
MUSIC VID
Unable to reveal themselves publicly, yet still wishing to tell people about their fight for justice, Bread and Roses gives voice to 12 migrant worker women and their experiences working on Perfection Fresh farms in Australia.
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THE BACKSTORY

Who are the "Perfection 12"?

The “Perfection 12” are the group of 12 women, who have taken Perfection Fresh to the Federal Court of Australia after repeated sexual harassment and abuses of power.

Perfection Fresh is a key supplier of tomatoes and mini-cucumbers to Coles and Woolworths, and failed in its legal duty to ensure a safe workplace for women.

Now, with the backing of their union, United Workers Union, the Perfection 12 are fighting for justice.

WHAT NEEDS TO CHANGE?

The Perfection 12 want all of the 10,000 workers in Perfection Fresh’s supply chain to have:

– job security;
– access to the union from their very first day;
– and for their leaders to be able to speak out without retaliation on union issues.


The women believe that these are significant steps the company can take to stop sexual harassment and assaults from occurring at Perfection Fresh.


One way to support the women in their fight, is to get this album in the ears of as many people as possible. The more people who reach out to Coles and Woolies, the more likely they will be to force their supplier to act.

STAND WITH THEM!
THE MAKING OF

On the island of Efate, Vanuatu, members of the Perfection 12 recorded an album: Bread and Roses.

Unable to reveal themselves publicly, yet still wishing to tell people about their fight for justice, the women decided on music as a means. From the pain of being cut off from family, to the strength they drew from unionising, each track marks a point in their journey.

The studio was called Era Kehto. Its thatched roof was patched up with tarpaulin, damaged by a cyclone earlier in the year. Despite the humidity and a lack of airconditioning, the door remained shut, as the rural property was also home to vocal farm animals.

Four songs were selected, all of which are covers. The title track, Bread and Roses (Bret Mo Roses), is an old union song, which the women adapted to reflect their own fight for respect.

Sun I Bonem Mi (Heat of the Sun) was originally sung by another farm worker, Marcelina Mete, about the sacrifices that seasonal workers make for their families. 

Sun I Bonem Mi features a verse about the border closures of the pandemic. Many farm workers, including the Perfection 12, were cut off from their families and communities for years. 

Both God Blo Mi (My God) and Hemi Oraet (It is Well) are religious songs, speaking to the power of their spirituality and the cultural importance of Christianity in Vanuatu.

Other than the title track, all of the songs are either in part or wholly sung in the language of Vanuatu, Bislama. The final track, Hemi Oraet, celebrates the indigenous languages of two of Vanuatu’s islands, Ambae and Malo.

The album also features interludes – interviews with each of the women, spliced and mixed, their voices altered. These tracks  break up the music and help to map the women’s journeys.

SHARE THE ALBUM:

Help get the album in front of as many people as possible.

Hashtags:
#BreadandRoses
#Perfection12

Targets:
@Coles
@Woolworths

OTHER WAYS YOU CAN HELP

RAISE YOUR CONCERNS WITH THE BIG SUPERMARKETS.

These women were harassed while working on farms that supply Coles, Woolworth & Aldi supermarkets with fresh produce.

Orders from the big supermarkets keep companies like Perfection Fresh in business. Coles, Woolworths & Aldi have huge power over their supply chain – and should use it to hold their suppliers to account & demand those companies make changes to better protect workers.

MESSAGE WOOLIES
MESSAGE COLES
MESSAGE ALDI
RESOURCES
CLICK TO DOWNLOAD:
STAND WITH THE PERFECTION 12.

sign up for updates on the progress of the album, the campaign, and the federal court case.

Authorised by C. Cinanni, United Workers Union, 833 Bourke St, Docklands, VIC 3008.