Riverland growers fined after underpayment probe
Seven Riverland employers have been fined by the Fair Work Ombudsman after investigations into whether workers were being paid properly.
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The Fair Work Ombudsman said inspectors investigated 32 Riverland businesses in February and July this year, issuing seven Infringement Notices totalling $13,764.
The Ombudsman’s office said it could not comment on the amount of any wages workers may or may not have missed out on in the Riverland or any region.
“An infringement notice is a penalty issued by a Fair Work Inspector for alleged record-keeping or pay slip breaches,” a spokesperson said.
“Most of the Infringement notices issued in Riverland so far were regarding payslips – either a failure to provide payslips or breaches relating to their form and content.
“Infringement Notices [in the Riverland] have also been issued relating to a failure to make and keep records.”
A two year investigation into workplace compliance in agriculture began in December, with agricultural regions in four states also investigated including Coffs Harbour and Grafton in northern NSW, Wide Bay and Moreton Bay in Queensland, and in Victoria.
Fair Work Ombudsman Sandra Parker said the agriculture sector employed many vulnerable workers such as migrants who may be unaware of their rights or unwilling to speak up.
“We are strategically targeting employers in 15 hot spot regions across two years where we have identified high risks of non-compliance,” Parker said.
“We expect employers to meet their legal obligations to all their employees, including the minimum wage guarantee now in effect in the Horticulture Award.”
The Ombudsman also investigated businesses in the Riverland, Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale as well as Victorian regions during the autumn pruning season last year.
Despite the investigating 19 businesses and issuing a number of caution notices, only one compliance notice was issued which recovered $257 for one employee.
In March during picking season, inspectors also investigated a total of 35 viticulture businesses in South Austtralia’s Coonawarra, Margaret River in Western Australia and in the Yarra Valley in Victoria.
Six infringement notices were handed out, with fines totalling $22,200, and 16 investigations remaining active.
