Commerce Ballarat, which has over 500 members in Ballarat and surrounding areas, will make a representation to a Senate Inquiry into worker exploitation on Tuesday.

Ms Coates said Commerce Ballarat will also raise concerns about public backlash against employers who spoke out about penalty rates. 

“There seems to be an idea that a lot of businesses are doing the wrong thing which is not the case.

“I don’t think anyone’s too worried about businesses gaining an unfair advantage (through underpayment), I think they're worried about them tarnishing their reputation.”

Ms Coates said Ballarat Trades Hall’s claims of a flourishing black economy in Ballarat were “an exaggeration”. 

Trades Hall has promised to name and shame businesses reported by their workers for underpayment, bullying or harassment to the union and Young Workers Legal Centre when it makes it representation to the inquiry. 

“I think that’s an exaggeration, I think it’s only a minority doing the wrong thing,” Ms Coates said.

“We don't have any evidence, but we don’t have any complaints from our members (and) our members wouldn’t be able to keep staff if they were continually doing the wrong thing.”

Workers paid as little as $5 an hour have come to Trades Hall for advice, with over 30 Ballarat businesses identified to the union for underpayment or paying cash-in-hand by their employees, secretary Brett Edgington said.

The Senate Inquiry into Evasion of the Fair Work Act will sit at the Mercure Ballarat from 8.45am to 3.40pm on Tuesday, March 14.