A source, who wished to remain anonymous, said they knew of at least 40 workers who went on strike earlier in the week due to pay conditions.

They said that one group of workers was being paid at a higher piece rate than the other.

"[Group one] were being paid at 74 cents, but the other group, who have been doing this work for years, was only paid at 50 cents," they said.

"Besides the law saying that the piece rate must be fair, everyone should be treated equally.

"Why should some be entitled to a higher rate than others."

They said that the workers went on strike, and returned to work after receiving "a little bit more".

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Australian Workers Union state secretary Robert Flanagan said that while he wasn't aware of the strike at the farm, he wasn't surprised.

"It is a problem in the horticulture industry generally where they have a piece regime which allows employees to earn less than the minimum hourly rate," Mr Flanagan said.

"What we know is that from studies that have been done, the majority of employees are earning between $8 and $12 an hour, well below the minimum wage.

"The problem is huge - it's one of a number of problems where the people that are being engaged are essentially being exploited."

Mr Flanagan said the AWU had made an application to vary the horticultural award to require that workers must get at least the minimum hourly rate.

The proposed amendment allows employers to pay piece rates, but they would be required to pay the award's current minimum hourly rate - regardless of whether they picked less fruit.

It would mean a minimum of $24.80 per hour for casuals (the majority of fruit pickers), plus loading, or $19.84 for permanent employees.

"What we've observed is that it's not uncommon for people's earnings to just cover their living costs and the reimbursements they have to make for their accommodation or transport," he said.

"They're left with little to nothing after all of that.

"You can understand that in this situation they weren't willing to work unless they had better pay."

When contacted for comment, Costa did not provide confirmation about the strike, but said it was committed to ensuring its workforce is well supported and had the opportunity to earn above the award rate during harvest season.

Regional manager Cameron Folder said that employees pick fruit under a piece rate, and results to date show that on average, the harvest workforce earn more than the award rate.

"As part of every workers induction they are also provided with a clear process on how to deal with any workplace issues," Mr Folder said.

"Workers are encouraged to follow this process to ensure any issues are resolved."

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