Warning on unpaid wages
Issue Date: - Friday, 29 August 2008
A warning today that employers who fail to turn up to court on workplace charges will not avoid having to pay workers their full entitlements.
In the Perth Industrial Magistrate’s court this month three businesses charged with underpaying workers have been ordered to pay thousands of dollars owed to employees. Two were also fined.
Blaga Kostoski, which operates a cleaning business trading as Spruce Domestic and Commercial Cleaning was fined $750 and ordered to pay $2,300 outstanding wages to a cleaner it had employed in August last year.
Child care company BMN Phillips Pty Ltd, trading as Maddington Child Care was ordered to pay $1,650 in unpaid entitlements to a centre worker, and transport operator, GSC Transport of Armadale, was fined $750 and ordered to repay $4000 in unpaid wages.
None of the employers attended court and were convicted in their absence.
Acting Director of Compliance and Education Services with the Labour Relations division of the Department of Consumer and Employment Protection, Mr Joseph Lee, said “it is disappointing that in a tight labour market employers are failing to pay their workers even their minimum legal entitlements”.
“Employers need to realise that not only will they be required to pay all the unpaid wages, they may also have to pay interest. They’re also almost certain to be fined an amount which may be up to half of the unpaid wages”.
Mr Lee said if employees or employers are unsure about the correct rates of pay they should contact Wageline on 1300 655 266.