A recent audit of employers in Braeside, Coburg and Reservoir by the Fair Work Ombudsman has found that one third of employers are not complying with workplace laws.
The Fair Work Ombudsman is the government body that is supposed to be responsible for ensuring employers stick to workplace laws. Their recent audit found 35 businesses in these suburbs breaching the rules.
The Fair Work Ombudsman is continuing to investigate 7-Eleven convenience stores in Victoria after finding more than a third of 56 stores it audited had breached workplace laws.
Following a self-audit process rolled out with the co-operation of 7-Eleven’s corporate headquarters, the FWO between September 2009 and February 2010 audited the time and wage keeping records, pay slip details, and wage payments of 56 franchisees in Melbourne and Geelong.
UNITE, the fighting union for fast food and retail workers in Victoria, was appalled to read the “7-Eleven Stores Audit Campaign: Final Report” released today by the Fair Work Ombudsman. See: http://www.fwo.gov.au/Audits-and-campaigns/Documents/2010/7-Eleven-Store-Education-and-Audit-Campaign.pdf
This audit was conducted after UNITE waged a long campaign against the super-exploitation of international students in 7-Eleven stores. The main complaint UNITE has made is that there is a far reaching scam being orchestrated by 7-Eleven franchisees whereby they pay employees for only half the hours they work.
UNITE Organiser Mel Gregson was recently interviewed on 3CR’s Stick Together about the campaign for better wages and conditions for Bakers Delight workers.
Listen to the interview here:
http://podcast.3cr.org.au/pod/3CRCast-2010-08-22-76989.mp3
or here:
The following article from Workplace Express outlines UNITE’s recent win against a Bakers Delight franchisee in the northern suburbs of Melbourne. See below.
Workplace Express article (subscription required)
Article can also be viewed here.
After a months long process, Fair Work Australia has finally refused to approve a Bakers Delight Enterprise Agreement. The agreement would have covered the Diamond Creek, St Helena and Laurimar stores in Melbourne’s northern suburbs.
UNITE, the fighting union for fast food and retail workers, had challenged the agreement in Fair Work Australia claiming that it left the young workforce disadvantaged because it undermined many Award conditions.
UNITE General Secretary Anthony Main was recently interviewed on 3CR’s Stick Together about the campaign to claim unpaid wages for 7-Eleven workers.
Listen to the interview here:
by Andrew Mathieson
20th May 2010
http://www.senews.com.au/story/89251
A COURT case involving former Moorabool Street convenience store operators allegedly owing hundreds of hours in unpaid wages has been adjourned to include more workers in the hearing.
But Unite, the fast food and retail union, claims the six former 7-Eleven employees who will front Melbourne Magistrates’ Court later in the year to recoup their losses are about half the workers with underpayment complaints against the operators.
The former operators of an infamous 7-Eleven store in Geelong will face the Melbourne Magistrates Court this Wednesday May 19th at 9.30am.
UNITE members and supporters will protest against the underpayment of 7-Eleven workers outside the Court from 9am.
7-Eleven and its franchisee Eddie Chan are responsible for stealing more than $100,000 from a group of young workers in Geelong!
On Saturday May 8th UNITE organised a solidarity picket outside JB HI-FI on Bourke Street in the city.
Hundreds of leaflets were distributed to customers explaining how the company is refusing to offer its New Zealand retail staff a pay rise. Much interest was shown in our information stall as passers-by stopped to listen to speeches from UNITE organisers.
JB Hi-Fi workers solidarity action organised by UNITE:
12pm
Saturday 8th May
at JB Hi-Fi
(206 Bourke st, City – near Russell st)
Melbourne, VIC
JB Hi-Fi staff at the company’s Wellington (NZ) store are taking strike action as part of a Unite Union campaign to win higher wages for retail workers. These strikes are the first ever industrial action in over 27 years of the company’s history!
From labourstart.org:
Labour Video of the Year
And the winner for 2010 is…
http://www.labourstart.org/lvoty/
By Genevieve Gannon (The Melbourne Times 27.01.10)
The Fair Work Ombudsman has started prosecuting 7-Eleven franchisees as part of its statewide audit of the convenience stores, but the union says the probe has hardly scratched the surface of the issue of worker exploitation.
Anthony Main, spokesman for UNITE, the fast food and retail workers union, said workers were being bilked out of pay in a widespread double-hours scam.
Authorities trying to hide the full story of exploitation of international students
UNITE has been made aware today that the Fair Work Ombudsman is set to prosecute the former operators of two 7-Eleven stores in Victoria.
While this news is welcomed, UNITE remains frustrated that the Ombudsman is only scratching the surface of this case. UNITE first brought the issues of severe underpayment at these stores to the attention of the Ombudsman in January 2009. After 12 months and many protests outside these stores, only now is the case being taken to court.
UNITE organiser Mel Gregson recently spoke to Diana Beaumont from 3CR’s Stick Together about the campaign for decent wages and conditions for Bakers Delight workers.
Listen to the interview here: