Alleged underpayment of workers lands labour hire firm in court
A Far North farm labour hire firm accused of exploiting PNG and South Pacific workers will face court next month for alleged underpayment of 87 visa holders.
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A Far North farm labour hire firm accused of exploiting PNG and South Pacific workers will face court next month for alleged underpayment of 87 visa holders.
An upcoming court appearance on December 1 of NQ Powertrain Pty Ltd follows an investigation by the Fair Work Ombudsman.
The regulator was tipped off to potential breaches of Queensland Labour Hire Licensing Authority regulations.
Employees worked on farms at Innisfail, Tolga, Walkamin, Mareeba, Upper Daradgee and Mourilyan.
It’s alleged 87 workers – employed under the Pacific Labour Scheme (PLS) and Seasonal Worker Program (SWP) between December 2018 and May 2020 – are owed a total of $49,933.
Fair Work Ombudsman Sandra Parker said taking action to improve compliance in the agriculture sector and protect vulnerable workers were top priorities for the FWO.
“This sector engages many vulnerable workers, such as visa holders, who may be unaware of their rights or unwilling to speak up. Employers who fail to deliver all their employees’ entitlements – including due to unlawful deductions – will be found out and risk facing penalties,” Ms Parker said.
The Fair Work Ombudsman alleges NQ Powertrain made deductions from each worker’s wages for accommodation at either a boarding house in Mareeba or a farmhouse in Tolga.
More than a dozen instances of NQ Powertrain deducting in excess of $1000 more in wages than was required to cover their accommodation costs, the Fair Work Ombudsman alleges.
Unlawful deductions from workers’ wages for transport costs, underpayment of weekend rates and time-off-in-lieu entitlements under the Horticulture Award 2010, will be raised as further allegations.
NQ Powertrain has rectified alleged underpayments in full but now faces fines of up to $63,000 per for each contravention of the Fair Work Act.
The Ernest St Innisfail office of NQ Powertrain, according to Google, is listed as permanently closed.
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Originally published as Alleged underpayment of workers lands labour hire firm in court
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