Mint My Desk staff walked off the job a second time on Wednesday.(Supplied:Louisa McCarthy)
Owners of retail stores MillionLife and Mint My Desk have temporarily closed twooutlets following industrial action that has seen staff walk off the job for the second time in seven days.
Mint My Desk, a stationery retail chain, has 18 stores nationally, while MillionLife, an arcade-style retail chain, has 31 stores with plans to expand to 300 stores in the next three years.
Staff of two Brisbane stores have accused MillionLife and Mint My Desk ofunderpaying staff, not paying superannuation and not providing payslips.
A spokesperson for the companytold the ABC the company had been wholeheartedly engaged in reviews and investigations of concerns raised by theemployees.
She confirmed the company had closed the Uptown (previously Myer Centre) and Chermsidestores fromTuesday to Thursday.
It's a feasible decision, she said.
Due to recent industrial actions and publicity, these stores' sales have tanked. The company was experiencing financial losses by keeping them open.
She added part of the reason the company closed the stores was so they could dedicate ourselves into resolving our employees'concern.
Spokesperson for Mint My Desk staff Louisa McCarthy said two employees had been threatened withbeing stood down following a second stop work action in Brisbane on Wednesday.
The company confirmed there had been a meeting regarding the employees' conduct and a decision was yet to be made on their employment.
Mint My Desk staff say there still appears to be confusion with pay entitlement.(Supplied: Louisa McCarthy)
Ms McCarthy said more than30 current and former workers from the Sydney and Melbourne MintMy Desk stores had come forward withevidence of grievances they have also raised in the pastwith the company—including issues involvingpay slips, pay, and penalty rates.
The thing we are still discussing is the minimum wage we should be getting, Ms McCarthy said.
There seems to be major confusion …about the appropriate rate for us.
In an email to staff, provided to the ABC,the company said itwas carrying out an urgent review of pay records and was committed to paying back any money owed.
Award coverage and application can be notoriously difficult, the company said.
Certainly, if mistakes have been made, they are unintentional, and we are committed to ensuring that going forward all pays are made correctly.
Ms McCarthy said she believed the issues Mint My Desk staff raised were not an anomaly.
We stand in solidarity with every single worker who is also facing a similar situation, she said.
Our fight is their fight for what is right.”
'Far too many' employers underpaying
Employers found seriously breaching their obligations of the industry award can face major penalties.
Breaches havebeen found at businesses of all sizes, including large companiessuch as 7-11andWoolworths.
Maurice Blackburn employment lawyer Patrick Turner, speaking in general terms, said employers in the private sector must comply with the National Employment standards in addition to any terms set out in their industry award.
He said award terms cover payment of superannuation, providing pay slips within one working day of pay and paying a minimum amount of what is set out in the award.
He said employers whofailedto meet the standards set out faced penalties ofup to $18,780 per contravention for an individual and $93,900 per contravention for a company.
Employment lawyer Patrick Turner says there are serious penalties for underpaying employers.(Supplied: Maurice Blackburn)
He added that if a systematic failure was found, those penalties increased tenfold.
Mr Turner said there were far too many employees in retail industries underpayingin Australia.
That's why it's been really good to see the federal government taking action on underpayments and closing to criminalise wage theft in the latest round of changesto Fair Work, Mr Turner said.
He said any employer whodiscoveredthey hadbeen underpaying staff should immediately rectify it, regardless of the possible penalty.
For workers who suspect they are being underpaid, he suggestsjoining the relevantunion, getting in touch with Fair Work and considering speaking to a lawyer.
Mr Turner said it was disappointing there were still employers not complying with workplace laws.
It just reflects the need to treat wage theft just as seriously as we currently treat theft by employees, and there needs to be criminal penalties for people who deliberately underpay their staff, he said.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-09-09/mint-my-desk-second-strike-over-alleged-underpayment/102828394
