According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, the Victorian Labour government has promised to introduce a new bill that severely punishes employers who deduct workers' wages, including possibly up to 10 years in prison.
The government announced the new bill at the Labour party conference last weekend. If individuals or companies deliberately withhold wages, fail to pay other overtime pay or keep employment records, individuals will be fined nearly two hundred thousand yuan, and the company responsible for the act will face a penalty of nearly 1 million yuan.
Governor Andrews says the new bill will be implemented by the new Victorian wage Inspectorate (Victoria Wage Inspectorate).
Andrews said: "every worker has the right to a fair pay for a day's work. In fact, it is a very simple fact that withholding wages is theft, and it is time for us to treat the withholding of wages in this way in the law. "
The Fair work Commission has investigated some of Melbourne's best-known restaurants about withholding wages.
Vue de monde, founded by famous chef Shannon Bennett, has been accused of not paying overtime to employees who work 40 hours a week.
Another famous chef, Darren Purchese, has also been accused of withholding employees' salaries and intimidating employees at his small South Yarra store, Burch and Purchese.
ENA, founded by Degani bakery and coffee chain founder George Pezaros, was also found to have been paid deductions this week, according to a survey by the Australian-Guangzhou company.
The government said the bill would allow workers to sue for less than 50, 000. Pamela, who has been a chef for 20 years, has less than 3000 yuan on her pension account and earns 18 yuan an hour. Pamela has now resigned. "this is a step in the right direction," she said. It's a little late for me, but for those who have just entered the catering industry, the bill guarantees that they will not be exploited. This is a good thing. I have never heard of any other industry that exploits and exploits employees like this. "
Since last year, the catering industry has been widely concerned.
In 2017, the chef master competition judge George Calombaris after an internal audit was asked to repay employees 2.6 million yuan deducted salary.
Labour says it will consult employers and unions on the bill.