By Alesha Capone
FAIR Work Ombudsman investigations have recovered more than $50,000 in unpaid wages for warehouse workers in Laverton and Footscray.
Recent random audits carried out by the workplace authority discovered $54,200 in underpaid salaries, relating to more than 50 employees.
When inspectors checked the books of 56 employers across Footscray and Laverton, they discovered around 80 per cent were meeting their legal obligations.
Out of the 49 audits which have been finished by Fair Work Ombudsman, 11 workplaces were found to be contravening their requirements, five relating to the underpayment of wages and six in relation to payslips.
Fair Work Ombudsman Nicholas Wilson said inspectors have worked with the employers to voluntarily rectify their breaches and put processes in place to ensure they do not re-occur.
However, seven businesses are still being investigated.
But Mr Wilson said the high compliance rate of warehouses within Laverton and Footscray was encouraging.
“We are serious about our job of building knowledge and creating fairer workplaces and we are strongly focused on ensuring the community understands its workplace rights and obligations,” he said.
The Fair Work Ombudsman is single point of contact for people working or running a business in Australia, to get information about their workplace rights and obligations.
Workers or employers seeking support ca contact the Fair Work Ombudsman at www.fairwork.gov.au by calling the Fair Work Infoline on 13 13 94.
