SA pubs under fire for rorting JobKeeper
A union chief has claimed hotels and motels around South Australia have been exploiting the emergency JobKeeper program.
Speaking to parliament United Workers Union national director and South Australian secretary Demi Pnevmatikos outlined a number of scams by employers looking to take advantage of JobKeeper.
These included applying for JobKeeper funding but not passing the money on to workers; only applying for the scheme for favoured workers and not others; forcing workers to dramatically alter their work hours of do types of work they were not qualified for; and telling workers they will lose their jobs when the JobKeeper scheme ends in September.
“A member at one Adelaide pub was stood down in March this year; told by her employer that they were applying for JobKeeper but not sure if they were eligible,” Pnevmatikos said.
“In early May, the employer issued her with a termination letter that was backdated to early March – they claimed that they couldn’t get a loan from the bank to pay their staff during COVID-19.
“It transpired that the employer had in fact received JobKeeper and had been passing on payments to other employees.”
Pnevmatikos also said workers at a “prominent beachside pub” were sent a letter from their employer.
“And I quote, ‘Dear JobKeeper recipients, as COVID-19 restrictions relax we expect all employees on JobKeeper to work 25 hours per week’,” she said.
“Going forward, if you are unable to commit to 25 hours, on average, per week through July, August and September to the end of JobKeeper payments, it would be advisable to send a written resignation letter and we will withdraw your name from JobKeeper’.
“So here we have an employer who has over many years implemented a casualised and precarious employment model, they’re now compelling employees to work a set number of hours despite being employed as casuals and writing to them to let them know that they plan to commit wage theft.”
Pnevmatikos said the union was following up these cases, which were “not just isolated incidents by single rogue employers”.
“There are thousands more members who have contacted our union and sought advice and representation over the last few months,” she said.
Sheridan Randall, 23rd June 2020
