An Inquiry into ‘wage theft’ in Western Australia is complete with the Minister for Industrial Relations set to review the report.

The inquiry was tasked with examining the incidence and impact of wage theft occurring in Western Australia and providing recommendations on strategies to combat ‘wage theft’.

In a statement, the WA Government described ‘wage theft’ as the “systematic and deliberate underpayment of wages and entitlements to a worker”.

Industrial Relations Minister Bill Johnston claimed the Inquiry was necessary to ensure a fair safety net of wages and entitlements for all workers.

Undertaken by former Chief Commissioner of the Western Australian Industrial Relations Commission Tony Beech, the inquiry evaluated the current regulatory framework at a state and federal level, and recommend strategies to combat ‘wage theft’ and assist affected workers.

The Inquiry commenced in February, with AREEA reiterating its position aligned to other employer groups, that the state legislation is unnecessary given federal laws already comprehensively address the issue.

The WA Inquiry follows the Victorian Government proposing up to 10 years jail for employers who deliberately underpay or don’t pay their workers, with the re-elected Andrews Labor Government set to introduce the new legislation making ‘wage theft’ a criminal offence.

‘Wage theft’ has also received prominence in the media in recent weeks following the Fair Work Ombudsman investigation that found George Calombaris’ restaurant empire Made Establishment had underpaid more than 500 staff by $7.8 million over six years.

AREEA invites members to provide comments or feedback via [email protected].