An Albanese Labor Government will legislate to make wage theft a criminal offence.

Labor has always stood for the protection of wages and conditions of workers in Australia and against their exploitation.

This includes wage theft which, since the exposure of the shameful practices of the 7-Eleven franchise six years ago, is being uncovered with such regularity and scale that it appears to have reached epidemic proportions.

Wage theft appears across a broad range of industries and disproportionately impacts young people, overseas students, migrant, workers and women. 

A 2019 PwC report found that the underpayment of Australian workers’ entitlements was estimated at $1.35 billion per year.

The Morrison Government has known about this problem for a very long time, and despite repeated announcements that they would act, have still not delivered.

Labor will consult with unions, States and Territories, and employer groups.  Labor’s federal wage theft laws will not undercut or undermine existing State and Territory laws where they currently operate.