Victorian truck drivers back-paid almost $20,000, with investigation revealing one driver was ripped off for almost 10 years
November 8, 2011
Two Victorian truck drivers have been back-paid a total of $19,500, including one who did not receive correct overtime payments for almost 10 years.
The Fair Work Ombudsman intervened in the case of the 58-year-old Geelong driver who was underpaid overtime entitlements between January 2001 and September 2010.
His employer reimbursed the driver $10,700 after the Ombudsman contacted it and explained its obligations.
The Ombudsman says no further action will be taken against the business. The workplace watchdog only names companies if it pursues legal action against them.
In a separate case, a 51-year-old male truck driver has been back-paid $8,800 for unpaid sick leave entitlements.
“It’s a fact that some businesses inadvertently breach workplace laws. When we find mistakes, we’re here to assist and give practical advice to employers on how to voluntarily fix them,” Fair Work Ombudsman Nicholas Wilson says.
“These businesses have now corrected the errors that led to the underpayments and put processes in place to ensure they will not happen again.”