Minister for Employment Michaelia Cash is heading the crackdown into wage fraud in Australia, including at 7-Eleven. Credit:Andrew Meares The taskforce was set up by the Minister for Employment Senator Michaelia Cash, to bolster the government's efforts to protect at-risk workers following a Fairfax Media investigation that revealed mass underpayment of workers across the 7-Eleven convenience store giant. The scandal prompted 7-Eleven to change its business model and set up a compensation scheme for workers. Fels sacked The scheme was initially headed by Professor Fels before the company sacked him in May after refusing to agree to new conditions the company wanted to introduce that he believed would make the wage panel "bogus".

Professor Fels told Fairfax Media the letter to 7-Eleven would request the methods it was using to assess compensation claims to thousands of workers who were underpaid over decades. Some were paid as little as $5 an hour. Targeting and exploitation of marginalised workers in Australia is so widespread it appears to have become a business model. Credit:Paul Jeffers It would also seek information on the role of Deloitte, which was originally hired to help set up the original compensation scheme and process payments to workers. "We want to know the compensation methods they are following and any changes in the approach from the original panel set up," he said. Professor Fels said the focus of the taskforce would also include better ways to communicate with visa-holders about their rights, stronger measures to prevent worker exploitation and more effective enforcement.

'Action and results' Senator Cash said the taskforce would focus on action and results. "Compliance or regulatory weaknesses that allow exploitation cases to occur will be a key focus," she said. "Exploitation of any worker in Australian workplaces will not be tolerated by this government," Senator Cash said. According to 7-Eleven's most recent figures, back payments to current and former 7-Eleven workers have hit $42 million, however, concerns remain that some franchisees are forcing their workers to hand back half of the pay under the new "cash back" scam.

A spokesman for 7-Eleven said the company had put in place several measures to tackle wage fraud at the company and had terminated franchisees for the cash back scam. "We haven't heard from the Migrant Workers Taskforce, but will be pleased to share details regarding the Wage Repayment Program (WRP) if they are interested," the spokesman said. Workers waiting Prakash Kumar, who was paid $10 per hour flat: no weekend rates, no penalty rates as a store manager in a number of stores in Brisbane for more than four years, is still waiting to be paid compensation. The Fair Work Ombudsman took his case to the Federal Court but Mr Kumar never saw the money he was owed because his boss put the company into liquidation.

"I submitted the claim long ago. Last month 7-Eleven said it's in the final stage and after that I haven't heard from them. I have no idea what's going on. I've lost all hopes after all this that happened," he said. The 7-Eleven spokesman said the company had no visibility of individual cases but encouraged Mr Kumar to contact the company so it could speed up his repayment process. Maurice Blackburn, which is representing pro bono 82 7-Eleven workers with back-pay claims said it has 46 claims filed to the compensation program that are outstanding. The 7-Eleven spokesman said the company was not discriminating against workers with legal representation. Members of the taskforce include the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, ASIC, the Australian Taxation Office, Australian Border Force, the Attorney-General's Department, Treasury, the Department of Employment and the Fair Work Ombudsman.