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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2021-05-26 Daily Xml
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Wage Theft

The Hon. I. PNEVMATIKOS (15:48): Last week, I joined community groups, unions and workers calling for wage theft to be criminalised. Organisations like SA Labour Info Hub and individuals gathered on the steps of Parliament House to listen to industrial organisations, workers and advocates who work to assist those affected by wage theft.

Those gathered on the steps expressed their frustration with the lack of action from both the state and federal governments. We listened to stories of the significant social and economic impact of wage theft on people in this state. We heard of workers being paid less than $5 an hour; workers being forced to pay high rent to their employer for accommodation; employers keeping workers' possessions, such as passports, as a way of control; and workers being sexually harassed and exploited.

Ultimately, the stories we heard illustrated that wage theft is used as a form of control, a way to take advantage of workers, and has become a business model for employment practice in our state. A worker even said she was made to feel like a second-class citizen.

The lack of action from the federal and state governments has not gone unnoticed. The federal government has recently backed away from its commitment to criminalise wage theft through its infamous omnibus bill, whereas the Marshall Liberal government has chosen to ignore the issue altogether. Substantial evidence has been presented to this parliament through the wage theft committee; however, this government refuses to acknowledge that wage theft is a problem needing to be addressed. Treasurer Lucas will not even accept the term 'wage theft'.

The media, the committee and the workers who spoke at this rally can attest that the existing structures and existing agencies like SafeWork SA and the Fair Work Ombudsman are not addressing the issue. Not only do these agencies not have the resources to deal with the issue of wage theft, they currently do not have sufficient powers to either police or regulate work systems and practices that exploit and abuse workers.

Our existing agencies cannot provide support for working people commensurate with the size of the problem. There is a growing sentiment within South Australia from workers, small businesses and the community that wage theft should be criminalised to deter employers from undercutting workers and creating a non-competitive business model. The Marshall Liberal government should see this rally as a call to action and be prepared for more public uproar on the issue until action is finally taken.

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