Gold Coast workers owed thousands of dollars in lost super and wages

New figures show as many as one in four Gold Coast workers could be owed money which was supposed to be paid by their employers. Are you among those affected?

Employers are getting away with “daylight robbery” by welshing on super payments to Gold Coast workers, according to the boss of a major industry fund.

Analysis of tax data by Industry Super Australia (ISA) shows more than 60,000 workers in the city lost out on $106m in payments in the 2018-19 financial year.

The figures cover the federal electorates of Moncrieff, Fadden and McPherson.

Another $31.6m was lost by workers in the federal electorate of Forde, which includes the northern Gold Coast suburbs of Ormeau, Pimpama and Upper Coomera, as well as most of the Logan area.

Construction, hospitality and tourism workers were worst affected by the shortfall.

ISA chief executive Bernie Dean said one of the big problems was that super could legally be paid just four times a year, rather than monthly with wages.

“This is a rip off on a quarter of Gold Coast workers that politicians won’t fix,” Mr Dean said.

“Super is your money, you should get it paid at the same time you get your wages. Local federal politicians get their super paid on pay day, they need to act to help local workers.”

Mr Dean said community awareness of unpaid super remained chronically low, especially among young workers and those on lower incomes who were most likely to be ripped off.

He said that lack of awareness amongst workers was being exploited by some “unscrupulous” employers who did not pay super.

“The majority of employers who are doing the right thing are being undercut by competitors who are getting away with daylight robbery,” Mr Dean said.

“Paying super with wages is the only way to get workers their money and level the playing field for business.”

With a federal election due by May, the ISA is demanding that politicians commit to mandating super payment at the same time as wages.

The fund is also campaigning for greater enforcement activity, proposing that the ATO “issue and publicise penalties for not paying super – so dodgy employers can see there is a cop on the beat”.

Follow @keithjwoods