FWBC continued the operational focus on recovering wages and entitlements for workers in the building and construction industry.
Table 2.12 shows that during the reporting period, FWBC had 379 enquiries about worker wages and entitlements. Of the 379 enquiries, 107 were upgraded to investigation with another 213 enquiries resulting in information being provided.
Investigation status
During the reporting period, FWBC initiated 159 wage and entitlement investigations.
Recovery
During the reporting period FWBC recovered wages and entitlements totalling $1,622,853.89 for 1363 building and construction industry workers.
TABLE 2.13 WAGES AND ENTITLEMENTS – NUMBER OF INVESTIGATIONS 1 JULY 2012 – 30 JUNE 2013
State |
Number of investigations |
---|---|
NSW |
59 |
VIC |
22 |
QLD |
26 |
WA |
18 |
SA |
12 |
TAS |
2 |
ACT |
17 |
NT |
3 |
Total |
159 |
TABLE 2.14 WAGES AND ENTITLEMENTS – RECOVERED
State |
Wages and entitlements recovery |
|||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Wages ($)
|
Leave ($) |
Site allowance ($) |
Superannuation ($) |
Total ($)
|
No. of employees
|
|
NSW |
292,552.92 |
12,093.58 |
698.82 |
12,688.88 |
318,034.20 |
297 |
VIC |
101,532.94 |
163,082.09 |
19,181.43 |
155,053.15 |
438,849.61 |
487 |
QLD |
458,456.47 |
4,143.69 |
– |
12,594.76 |
475,194.92 |
288 |
WA |
180,659.20 |
34,649.24 |
4,197.76 |
2,289.19 |
221,795.39 |
159 |
SA |
47,988.50 |
6,273.38 |
– |
746.96 |
55,008.84 |
29 |
TAS |
9,549.41 |
– |
– |
– |
9,549.41 |
4 |
ACT |
82,852.65 |
7,603.62 |
– |
794.89 |
91,251.16 |
94 |
NT |
8,673.42 |
4,496.94 |
– |
– |
13,170.36 |
5 |
Total |
1,182,265.51 |
232,342.54 |
24,078.01 |
184,167.83 |
1,622,853.60 |
1363 |
SHAM CONTRACTING
As the workplace relations regulator for the building and construction industry, FWBC plays a central role in addressing the problem of sham contracting.
During the reporting period, FWBC received 115 sham contracting enquiries.
Table 2.15 shows the outcome of sham contracting enquiries, with 28 enquiries being upgraded to investigation status.
Table 2.16 shows the status of sham contracting related investigations, with 14 still under investigation
Table 2.17 shows the outcome of investigations commenced by the previous agency and finalised by FWBC.
TABLE 2.15 SHAM CONTRACTING – OUTCOME OF ENQUIRIES
Outcome |
Number |
---|---|
Information provided |
66 |
Initiated targeted audit |
1 |
Referred to other agency |
3 |
Referred to relevant federal agency |
10 |
Referred to relevant state agency |
3 |
Unable to provide assistance |
4 |
Upgrade to investigation |
28 |
Total |
115 |
TABLE 2.16 SHAM CONTRACTING – STATUS OF INVESTIGATIONS
Outcome |
Number |
---|---|
Current investigation |
14 |
Legal |
8 |
Closed investigation* |
63 |
* This figure represents the investigations that were closed this financial year, regardless of when the investigation commenced. This means some of these closed investigations were commenced from the predecessor agency and closed by FWBC.
TABLE 2.17 SHAM CONTRACTING – OUTCOME OF INVESTIGATIONS
Outcome |
Number |
---|---|
Court – penalty imposed |
3 |
Finalised – education session provided |
2 |
Finalised – insufficient evidence |
9 |
Finalised – letter of caution |
5 |
Finalised – no breach identified |
26 |
Finalised – referred to external department |
2 |
Finalised – settled |
15 |
Finalised – written undertaking |
1 |
Total |
63 |
Note: Some investigations were commenced by the previous agency and finalised by FWBC.