FWO starts legal action against United Petroleum outlets
Summary
Date Reported: 17 Jan 2024
Location: Australia
Companies
KLM Foods - Other Value Chain Entity , United Petroleum - Other Value Chain Entity , Vizaan - EmployerAffected
Total individuals affected: 4
Migrant & immigrant workers: ( Number unknown - Bangladesh , Petrol stations , Gender not reported , Unknown migration status ) , Migrant & immigrant workers: ( Number unknown - India , Petrol stations , Gender not reported , Unknown migration status )Issues
Wage Theft , Access to Non-Judicial RemedyResponse
Response sought: Yes, by Resource Centre
Story containing response: (Find out more)
Action taken: The FWO is seeking penalties against the companies.
Source type: News outlet
Summary
Date Reported: 29 Feb 2024
Location: Australia
Companies
United Petroleum - Other Value Chain Entity , Sai Enterprises - Other Value Chain EntityAffected
Total individuals affected: 2
Migrant & immigrant workers: ( 2 - Location unknown , Petrol stations , Gender not reported , Unknown migration status )Issues
Wage Theft , Other DiscriminationResponse
Response sought: Yes, by Resource Centre
Story containing response: (Find out more)
Action taken: The Queenstown outlet workers were back-paid in full once the FWO investigated the issue.
Source type: News outlet
The FWO alleges four migrant workers at Tasmania’s Sandy Bay and Kingston outlets were underpaid a total of more than $20,000. It alleges they were paid flat hourly rates between $16 and $23 for a fixed number of hours per week, and not paid for extra time worked.
The workers from India and Bangladesh were in Australia on visas; one was aged 19-20.
Two companies and one individual face separate court actions in relation to the allegations. KLM Foods Pty Ltd operated the Sandy Bay and Kingston outlets; Vizaan Pty Ltd employed a worker at the Kingston outlet.
The FWO alleges Loveleen Gupta, the husband of Vizaan’s sole director, is involved in the operations of the Sandy Bay and Kingston outlets as KLM Foods’ sole director.
It alleges both firms knowingly supplied workers with false pay slips and KLM Foods provided the FWO with incorrect timesheets.
After the FWO began its investigation the alleged underpayments for three of the workers were rectified.
However, KLM Foods and Loveleen Gupta allegedly breached the Fair Work Act by demanding one worker make an unlawful cashback payment of $6,353.
There were also alleged breaches of record-keeping and part-time staff agreement laws...