Surge in rights claims under wages legislation

A SURGE in the number of people making claims under the Payment of Wages Act has prompted the Rights Commissioners to dedicate four commissioners to dealing with the workload.

Figures obtained by Industrial Relations News show that almost 6,000 individuals currently have claims lodged with the commissioner under the act — up from 3,600 last summer.

The Payment of Wage Act gives employees the “right to a readily negotiable mode of wage payment, a right to a written statement of wages and deductions, and protection against unlawful deductions from wages”.