ALLEGATIONS that Flight Centre Travel Group systemically underpaid staff have been strenuously rejected by the business.
The ABC reported class action specialists, Maurice Blackburn Lawyers and union Together Queensland, intend to file a case against Flight Centre with the Federal Court today, in relation to the underpayment of five current and past employees of the group.
Maurice Blackburn employment law principal, Giri Sivaraman told the ABC claimants were owed $250,000 in underpayments, overtime and leave entitlements.
Responding to the allegations, a Flight Centre spokesperson “categorically denied” the claims.
“As no legal action has been served and the claims were only outlined in a media release provided to the ABC, the company is not in a position to address the allegations in detail,” the spokesperson told Travel Daily.
“Based on comments made in the media release, these allegations appear to relate to a wage model that was replaced last year, and are inaccurate and were strongly denied publicly when they first surfaced in 2018.
“The company has categorically denied that some of its people were paid below the minimum award under the previous wage structure.
“Like most sales companies, Flight Centre has an incentivised workforce and pays its people a base wage or retainer plus commissions.
“If the combination of retainer and commission fell below the minimum applicable award, the company paid its people an additional top-up to ensure earnings reached the appropriate level.”
Source: traveldaily