Senator Glenn Sterle writes to the National Farmers Federation (NFF) urging them to take action against illegal practices in the transport industry after an alarming job advertisement on Facebook offered below-award wages for grain carting.
Senator Glenn Sterle has sent a letter to the CEO of the National Farmers Federation (NFF) following a recent “alarming job advertised located on Facebook” that threatens the transport industry.
This week, Sterle was made aware of a Facebook job advertisement to cart harvest grain for $20 an hour with an illegal ABN.
In response, Sterle wrote to the NFF, asking them to take a stand against these illegal practices.
The letter, which Sterle published on Facebook, pointed out that the starting hourly rate for driving vehicles such as a B-Double in NSW start at $26.16.
“To advertise a job six dollars less than the award is a sham and is blatant wage theft,” Sterle says.
“I would be interested to hear your views on whether employers in your industry should be allowed to get away with offering drivers conditions far less than what they are entitled to as per the award.”
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Sterle goes on to say the advertisement is “a clear case and example of sham contracting”, where employers attempt to disguise an employment relationship as a contractor one.
“I have no doubt that access to quality and experienced drivers as well as the conditions they have to work under is one of the challenges your industry faces,” Sterle says.
“What is the NFF doing to draw attention to the blatant wage theft and use of sham contracting arrangements in your industry? Does the NFF endorse this sort of behaviour?
“If this is just business as usual for you, it’s no wonder you are campaigning against the government’s planned reforms to crack down on the exploitation of workers.”
The NFF is yet to respond.