**As the right wing government continues to set the hounds onto Unions, and gives 8 million in funding for policing of Unions. The Australian government has underfunded and shaved the budget of the Fair Work Ombudsman's office, so the investigation of wage theft is unlikely except in media published cases.
The funding freeze is described by Natalie James as completely unacceptable, with more and more employers accused of paying below minimum wage, withholding and not paying superannuation. The hospitality industry is now accused of a 'disturbing culture' of underpayments.
The focus of the government is on destroying Unions, and all other employee protections under the law. The Registered Organisations Commission is receiving extra funding to investigate Unions, and help to dismantle long held precious employee protections.
Complaints of rampant worker underpayment recently exposed at 7-Eleven, Dominos and Caltex are the tip of the iceberg, and are now impossible to investigate and prosecute as there is no funding provided.
Professor Andrew Stewart from Adelaide University, says there is increasing and also massive evidence of increasing breaches of the labour market including wide spread wages theft. He said the government focus is on reducing Union power, rather than increasing the Ombudsman's capacity to prosecute wage under payments.
The government wants to have a large unemployed pool available for employers to choose from without constraints of long held employment laws. Thousands and perhaps millions of workers are being underpaid in a systematic destruction of the middle class.
The Fair Work Ombudsman's office has been facing lower and lower budgets since 2016, and is clear the Government wants to impede the ability for them to investigate wages theft.
It is estimated that over 30% of workers are now paid below award, and over 15% are not receiving superannuation and holiday loadings. It is now widespread and becoming clearer to all employers that workplace laws are not prosecuted.
Next month the government is introducing 4-10 week free work trails for the unemployed to give employers even more exploitation of workers, and it is expected many paid workers will be replaced with this free labour, who loss access to unemployment benefits if they won't comply**
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