The McGowan Government is calling on Western Australian workers and employers to comment on the inquiry into wage theft that commences today.
The inquiry is being undertaken by former Chief Commissioner of the Western Australian Industrial Relations Commission Tony Beech, and is expected to be completed by June 2019.
Wage theft is the systematic and deliberate underpayment of wages and entitlements to workers.
The inquiry will consider:
- Whether there is evidence of wage theft occurring in Western Australia;
- The reasons wage theft is occurring;
- The impact of wage theft on workers, the businesses that are compliant with employment laws, and the Western Australian community and economy;
- Whether the current State and Federal regulatory framework for dealing with wage theft is effective in combating wage theft and supporting affected workers; and
- Whether new laws should be introduced in Western Australia to address wage theft, and if so, whether wage theft should be a criminal offence.
It has been reported that Australian workers are being underpaid more than $1 billion in lost wages each year.
For more information, visit http://www.dmirs.wa.gov.au/wagetheftinquiry. Submissions can be sent to [email protected] and close on March 27, 2019.
As stated by Industrial Relations Minister Bill Johnston:
"Wage theft is a serious problem in Western Australia, which is why the McGowan Government is committed to combatting this issue as every worker deserves to be paid fairly.
"Once the inquiry is complete, the Government will carefully consider the findings and the recommendations made.
"If you have been underpaid by an employer or been denied any entitlements, I encourage you to write a submission."
