Graeme Henderson, Bullengarook
Wouldn’t it be great if small businesses in our local community, the Macedon Ranges, paid their workers what they are legally entitled to under their particular award?
Wouldn’t it be great if they paid appropriate penalty rates, paid into their workers’ superannuation funds, paid workers’ compensation premiums and paid taxes to the government from their employees’ wages? It’s those taxes that pay for our schools, hospitals, police force and much, much more.
Too many local employers do none of the above, paying cash-in-hand, off the books. It’s very often young people in our community, so keen to find part-time or casual work while studying, that are exploited in this way. In other localities it’s often migrants or overseas students, both vulnerable groups, that suffer this. One of my own children has been among those ripped off by local small business owners in years past. It’s time this exploitation stopped. Local employers and parents need to step up and tackle this problem.
The under-payment of workers and non-payment of tax, superannuation and workers’ compensation premiums is against the law.
Know a local employer? Ask them if their employees are being paid according to the law.
It’s time our kids weren’t ripped off by local small businesses.
