Wrong again

aussietraveller · Guru

Wrong again

madaboutled · Guru

Who was it ??? and do you have a link to the story ???

Desert Dweller · Guru

madaboutled wrote:
Who was it ??? and do you have a link to the story ???

7-Eleven again. Some ''overseas'' workers were doing 16hr shifts @ $10/hr. This was at almost a hundred or so stores according to last Saturdays Melbourne Age.

Oxley · Veteran Member

Just take a look at Gumtree and search for farming jobs, Its not just 7 eleven, this WWOOFing seems to be a great scam, and others are just as bad, paying below award rates and taking most of that to cover "room and board". I saw one that was only paying $200 per week and expected 12 hour days, 7 days a week and you shared a caravan with the owner.

Weevil · Guru

madaboutled wrote:
Who was it ??? and do you have a link to the story ???

This is one story about 7/11 workers;

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-09-02/labor-says-7-eleven-student-workers-should-be-given-amnesty/6742374

Spydermann · Senior Member

Are people on student Visas not allowed to work? There is an implication that the employer was saying the workers would be reported to immigration if they complained about $10/hour.

nomadic1 · Senior Member

People on student visas are allowed to work for 20 hours a week during the semester. I don't think there's a limit during their holidays. 7/11 is obviously getting them to work more than 20 hours a week (as many want to do in order to pay their living expenses) then using that as blackmail to get them to accept lower wages.

D and D · Guru

Here's a link to the 4 Corners story on 7 Eleven that started all this off: www.abc.net.au/4corners/stories/2015/08/30/4301164.htm Strange how a television program has to break this type of news, this is the second story this year about visitors to this country being ripped off where are the government regulators or the unions and lets not forget business organisations who argue against additional resources to enforce regulations.

Cupie · Guru

D and D wrote:
Here's a link to the 4 Corners story on 7 Eleven that started all this off: www.abc.net.au/4corners/stories/2015/08/30/4301164.htm Strange how a television program has to break this type of news, this is the second story this year about visitors to this country being ripped off where are the government regulators or the unions and lets not forget business organisations who argue against additional resources to enforce regulations.

Call me an old fashioned relic of the past or whatever, but this is one of the reasons that I have always supported strong, responsible Union representation in our workplaces.

There are lots or unscrupulous Employers out there with eyes only for the short term bottom line. Lots of bludging workers & conniving Union Officials too!

As a Manager I always established good relations with the Unions that had coverage in my area & ensured that where ever possible I got the good reps to work in my workplaces. During the induction of new employees I always allowed a short segment for the Union to address the people & sign up any who wished to.

I myself was a member of a Union from the day I started work until when I accepted a redundancy package (THe general package was one negotiated by Unions). Sure, once I became a Manager I changed to a Union that didn't have coverage in my area. (I suppose I could have just made a donation).

In all my years I never had a locally initiated Union dispute or serious industrial complaint & was frequently called to represent Management on Industrial issues.

IMHO it is very much about identifying common goals, recognizing the contributions of both Capital & Labour/Workers and working ethically together to achieve them & sharing the rewards fairly. That includes ensuring payment of the appropriate renumeration and providing a safe & rewarding workplace.

-- Edited by Cupie on Wednesday 2nd of September 2015 11:26:32 AM

-- Edited by Cupie on Wednesday 2nd of September 2015 11:28:23 AM

jules47 · The Happy Helper

I have managed a medium sized engineering company - in my distant past. Always found the unions agreeable and fair in our dealings, so I believe in them.

When my husband died, he had been a member of the same Union for 45 years. They sent me a cheque to help with funeral expenses, don't know if this is normal, but I was very appreciative.

blissonwheels · Senior Member

Gooday,

And may I ask where are the Unions in this current discussion??, where are they in respect to the other BIG Corporations who were highlighted in a previous 4 corners Report?, where these Corporations are using the Dodge of Labour Hire Companies to outsource their obligations as an employer, then throw their hands in the hair and say not my fault, I only hired these people, I did not actually employ them.

Why did not the Consumer Affairs Dept who investigated some of these current topical cases follow through, they too knew it was an endemic problem?, why do we have so many people from other countries here on 457 Visas doing the jobs the Locals do not wish to do?, who did these jobs in the past?, OUR GENERATION without a Whimper, or the Backpackers who now constitute the Majority of the workforce in harvesting our Horticultural Products?, because the LOCALs do not want to do the work?.

We were Employers in a previous life for some 30 years, our own money invested and all we owned at the mercy of the Finance Companies, whom we needed to borrow from to expand our business, 'BANKS', now only exist on the sides of Rivers & Creeks in my opinion, not the grand pillar of commerce they once may have been.

I too was an employee for many year before starting our own Business, yes I agree Unions had a place to ensure fair conditions and pay for employees, not honoured by rogue employers, but think they have become more interested in other pursuits than what their role was in recent years.

The truth of it is, 'These people who do not like that sort of work', and happily sit at home, 'WE', indirectly fund their unemployment.

Cheers,

Thomas J.

03_Troopy · Guru

The 457 visas are not about giving jobs to foreigners because locals won't do them or we lack qualified workers in those fields, it's about allowing companies to cut costs by paying less than they would have to for a local worker, plain and simple.

Bruce and Bev · Guru

I used to be a site manager for BP. Each of their state HR depts. and site managers targeted student visa holders (mainly from India) because they would turn up for work day or night. BUT they are only allowed to work 20 hours per week on a student visa, so they would be employed in 3-4 different servos and work 20 hours at each, often working 80-100 hours per week. They were paid the award and all the BP's were company owned - not independants or franchisees.

The problem was that a company as large as BP knowingly breached the laws regarding Visas by employing them this way. Some Aussie born staff reported these breaches to Immigration, but nothing was ever done and as far as I know it still happens.

In todays news, a law company is launching a class action against 7/11 Australia and 7/11 America for unpaying staff and inciting franchisees to underpay them as well as acting on behalf of franchisees. The news article in a Sydney daily said that most 7/11's would run at a loss for franschisees if award wages were paid, as the company takes such a huge chunk of the turnover. 7/11 say they will set up an independant panel headed by a "distinguished Australian who will investigate each claim from staff and franchisees and reimburse any proven underpayment (although the time sheets were apparently altered to hide this) and they will buy back any servo if a franchisee wants to sell it back to them (at the same price the latter paid for it ????)