A COMPANY that unloads containers for Woolworths lost its contract after it was accused of paying workers as little as $3 an hour.
KBT Logistics had subcontracts for the supermarket chain but they were cancelled once the almost slave labour pay rates were revealed.
Former employees say that there was no way to make even the minimum wage of $16.37 an hour and staff were illegally paid cash in hand.
“There was no contract, no paperwork,” father-of-one Ben Vaofusi said.
“KBT employed me. We were getting $25 a container that took us four hours to do, we were getting paid $3 an hour between the both of us.”
Woolworths contracts Australian Container and Freight Services to unload containers for their supermarket stock.
ACFS subcontracted some of the work to KBT Logistics. But ACFS managing director Arthur Tzaneros adviced the suppliers and terminated the contract this week.
“As a company, we expect our suppliers to do the right thing,” he said.
“It was brought to my attention. We terminated the contract effective immediately.”
Mr Vaofusi and his brother David quit the job at KBT’s Truganina outlet on their first day because of the pay.
But Robert Ashford, 28, worked up to 60 hours a week for KBT Logistics for as little as $300 a week, cash in hand, at its Laverton site.
He said he kept taking the low wages because he was too proud to go on the dole. “I’ve never been on the dole, I like working,” he said.
He said he was sacked when he complained to the National Union of Workers about his conditions.
KBT owner Danny Kavana, 48, admitted some staff were paid cash by the container but denied short-changing them.
Woolworths declined to comment.
Source: News Limited