Calls to add migrants, superannuation payouts to long-running workers compensation scheme

ABC NEWS (Australia)

A government scheme that pays out missing entitlements to workers when their employers collapse is being reviewed after claims it's being rorted by dodgy companies. The fair entitlements guarantee or "FEG" is also facing criticism for failing to help migrants as well as not covering superannuation.

Transcript

00:00This is where you were working?

00:03Yeah.

00:04Jasan went into work one day and found the restaurant that he worked for had gone into

00:08liquidation.

00:10Documents show that Jasan and his colleagues were owed $230,000 in pay, annual leave and

00:17superannuation.

00:18Did you think you'd get that money?

00:21I thought I would get that one because I have complained to Fair Work and then FEG.

00:27FEG is a government scheme that pays out missing entitlements.

00:33The FEG scheme is a really crucial safety net for workers when the company that they

00:38work for goes belly up.

00:40The government is reviewing FEG after concerns that taxpayers are footing the bill for companies

00:45that intentionally avoid paying their workers when they go under.

00:50What we want to do is weed out the rogue players.

00:54The review is also prompting calls for change.

00:58This tradie got a payout from FEG when the builder that he worked for collapsed, but

01:02it didn't cover his missing superannuation.

01:06We're entitled to that.

01:07We've worked our time.

01:08We've worked for the company.

01:10Jasan also got a shock when he applied for FEG.

01:13It doesn't cover workers on visas like him at all.

01:17I was like totally depressed because I was working full time paying tax.

01:25The fair entitlements guarantee is neither fair nor a guarantee.

01:28Ahead of the federal election, Labor says that it's hearing calls about adding superannuation

01:34to FEG, but that migrants aren't a current focus.

01:38The coalition says they'll wait for the outcome of this review, while the Greens say that

01:42both super and migrant should be added to the scheme.

Category

Transcript

Be the first to comment

Recommended