During the reporting period, the ABCC received 279 enquiries about suspected underpayment of worker wages and entitlements.
Table 2.11 shows that NSW had 69 enquiries about worker wages and entitlements, followed by VIC (68) and QLD (49). Of the 279 enquiries, 128 were upgraded to investigation status.
Investigation status
During the reporting period, the ABCC commenced 163 wage and entitlement investigations. One hundred and twenty-one of these involved possible sham contracting arrangements. A total of 244 wage and entitlement investigations were finalised in the reporting period.
Every sham contracting case is assessed for possible underpayment concerns, especially where they involve a contract for labour only at an hourly rate of pay.
Recovery
ABC Inspectors recovered wages and entitlements worth $659,916.34 for 525 building and construction industry workers in the reporting period.
TABLE 2.12 WAGES AND ENTITLEMENTS – STATUS OF INVESTIGATIONS AT 31 MAY 2012
State |
Number of investigations |
Alleged sham contracting involved |
NSW |
42 |
24 |
VIC |
25 |
18 |
QLD |
20 |
14 |
WA |
28 |
17 |
SA |
8 |
1 |
TAS |
2 |
0 |
ACT |
26 |
41 |
NT |
12 |
6 |
Total |
163 |
121 |
TABLE 2.13 WAGES AND ENTITLEMENTS – RECOVERED
State |
Wages ($) |
Leave ($) |
Site allowance ($) |
Superannuation ($) |
Total recovered ($) |
Number of employees |
NSW |
101,032.99 |
5,461.20 |
|
11,046.71 |
117,540.90 |
158 |
VIC |
46,643.53 |
10,445.28 |
3,583.42 |
40,979.31 |
199 101,651.54 |
199 |
QLD |
134,202.02 |
36,494.04 |
|
22,054.34 |
192,750.40 |
49 |
WA |
17,834.61 |
3,935.11 |
635.50 |
|
22,405.22 |
17 |
SA |
50,328.44 |
9,190.50 |
1,059.70 |
|
60,578.64 |
20 |
TAS |
350,041.59 |
|
|
|
|
0 |
ACT |
19,264.84 |
|
|
724.09 |
19,988.93 |
17 |
NT |
42,873.77 |
27,826.31 |
|
74,300.63 |
145,000.71 |
65 |
Total |
412,180.20 |
93,352.44 |
5,278.62 |
149,105.08 |
659,916.34 |
525 |