Call for audit over underpay of trolley collectors

THE Ballarat Trades Hall has requested an audit of major Ballarat shopping centres and supermarkets.BTH secretary Graeme Shearer said he had written to the Workplace Ombudsman after consistently receiving complaints from people regarding possible underpayment of hourly rates for workers collecting trolleys at shopping centres.Mr Shearer also said there was concern about the major staff turnover in the industry and employee confusion with their status of employment."I urge any employee who is in this position to compile a diary of days and hours worked and rates of pay received," Mr Shearer said."If they are not correct a claim could be made on the employer at a later state."Federal Workplace Ombudsman Executive Director Michael Campbell said the Workplace Ombudsman, the courts and the community simply did not tolerate the exploitation of vulnerable workers."If there are unscrupulous employers in Ballarat riding roughshod over trolley collectors and who think they can get away with it, they had better think again," Mr Campbell said."Since we began a national campaign last year to stamp out exploitation of disadvantaged workers in this sector, we have recovered underpayments of more than $360,000 for almost 400 trolley collectors."Mr Campbell said while the WO was yet to receive Mr Shearer's correspondence, it was keen to discuss his concerns and assess evidence or complaints employers were underpaying their staff. "We will certainly consider conducting random audits as a result," he said."The Workplace Ombudsman will also look at sending an officer to Ballarat if workers who contact our help line prefer to meet an inspector face-to-face."