A contractor "knowingly involved" in underpaying vulnerable supermarket trolley collectors and a subcontractor who "deliberately" produced false payment records and underpaid employees have been fined more than $90,000 by the Federal Court.
Law firm Maurice Blackburn is considering a test case exploring whether food delivery companies in Victoria such as Foodora and Deliveroo are engaging in sham contracting by engaging riders who claim they are being paid below award rates.
An independent Islamic school that hired more fixed-term teachers than permitted under the award and then tried to cover it up has been fined $150,000 by the Federal Court for unlawful practices, in one of the largest penalty decisions handed down against a school
An FWO inquiry into housekeeping services reveals that exploitation of vulnerable, overseas workers is rife within the industry, as one of Australia's largest hotel and resort operators agrees to enter into enforceable undertakings with the watchdog in a bid to avoid proceedings over an independent contracting model it established that robbed workers of their correct wages and conditions.
Two companies and their director that underpaid two Indian citizens and engaged in sham contracting and adverse action have been ordered to pay $200,000 in penalties and compensation.
The Opposition has given notice that it will introduce a Private Member's Bill that would trigger a crackdown on underpayments, sham contracting and exploitation of temporary visa workers.
The High Court has denied special leave for a Roy Morgan research subsidiary to appeal a full Federal Court ruling that upheld penalties against it for sham contracting.
A Queensland parliamentary inquiry will consider licensing and registration of labour hire companies as the state becomes the third jurisdiction to launch investigations into allegations of sham contracting and abuses of visa workers by labour suppliers.
The High Court has today unanimously found that an employer breached the Fair Work Act's anti-sham contracting provisions when it misrepresented an employment relationship as one of independent contracting.