The Closing Loopholes Review is due imminently, but the Wage Theft Inquiry has already given us insight into the government's thinking
The long-awaited tabling of the Closing Loopholes Review will have far-reaching consequences for workplace relations for the next 2-3 years. But one issue on Amanda Rishworth’s desk has received more attention than perhaps any other in the 400-plus page review - wage theft.
Parliament returned this week. By my calculations, the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations has until 20 August to table the review. But close observers will already have a pretty good idea of the government’s likely direction on this $12 billion problem.
The federal inquiry into Australia’s wage theft framework, which emerged in parallel with Closing Loopholes, handed down its findings on 25 June. The results were chastening.
Nationally, wage and superannuation underpayments drain billions of dollars from the Australian economy every single year. The education and training sector was the biggest offender with $68.8 million recovered by the Fair Work Ombudsman, followed by retail trade on $59.9 million, then mining with $54.9 million, and finally health and social assistance on $36.1 million.
The Senate report emerged because the Fair Work Ombudsman has received zero referrals for criminal prosecution. It should be noted that last month, reports emerged of the first such action against childcare operator G8 Education.
Still, the fact that the number is...
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