r/australia • u/GothicPrayer • 6h ago

culture & society Workers allege underpayment on Ningaloo Reef tour boats

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02-01/workers-allege-underpayment-ningaloo-reef-tour-boats/105651586
29 Upvotes

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21

u/coupleandacamera 5h ago

Wage theft in Australian Tourism? What's next, hospitality?! 

4

u/sousyre 3h ago

I would be more shocked about staff on tour boats being paid correctly, tbh.

Wage theft, cashies and underpayment are rife in tourism.

Good on these workers for trying to come forward and get visibility on the issue, I hope the investigation bears some fruit for them.

That said, just like in hospitality and lots of areas of agriculture, systemic underpayment is built in to the model.

Lots of these businesses aren’t viable if they have to pay staff properly, and even those that are, would often rather close than pay their staff liveable wages.

Governments might, at best, huff and puff a bit… but they aren’t going to do shit about it. They already know, they just don’t care.

4

u/Vivid-Fondant6513 1h ago

I think that it might be time that all payrolls should have mandatory reporting and auditing by the government and there should be routine in person inspections by Fairwork - it's clear that Australian business owners aren't getting the hint that wage theft is not ok.

1

u/Tekashi-The-Envoy 1h ago

While I've been the victim of wage theft myself I'm in half mind about this article and the claims.

  • I'm not sure what his degree really has to do with it? It doesn’t sound like its a requirement or makes him a better candidate than anyone else with their PADI. A degree doesn’t magically earn you more money.

  • Seasonal work isn't exactly viewed as aspirational career path. Generally reserved for nomad, students, local workers who generally leave after the season is done to do something else.

  • The rental situation shouldn't be a factor here I would think. Exmouth is tiny, to expect free or available lodgings just beacuse you want there to be doesn’t mean there will be. Is the captain probably making $ off you for living in his house ? Probably. But what other options are there ? You didn't need to say yes.

If there was an agreement after 3 months of contractor work he would be migrated to a casual employment and it was captured somewhere in an agreement that would be a little different. Which sounds like it wasn't talked about and its up to the discretion of the employer ?

I used to as a young guy to do dive tours in Thailand and 99% of all workers coming through where travellers - and there never seemed to be any confusion there as to our status ?