Wage theft instances on the rise in Australia

A suspected wage dispute at a bubble tea shop prompted calls for better pay protection

A suspected wage dispute at a bubble tea shop prompted calls for better pay protection Source: SBS

A violent altercation caught on video inside an Adelaide bubble tea shop over a suspected wage dispute has prompted calls for better pay protection for vulnerable migrant workers. Many of them are international students from China who say the culture needs to change.


A 39-year-old man was arrested and charged with assault in early February after a violent altercation at Adelaide shop Fun Tea was recorded on video.

The assault was over a suspected wage dispute, and two labour rights organisations in South Australia have told SBS Chinese they've seen a rise in enquiries from migrant workers since.

Meng is an advocacy officer at the Working Women's Centre in Adelaide, which provides free legal advice and counselling services.

"[The bubble tea incident] took the discussion of wage theft to a new level."

Over the last 12 months, the centre has seen and assisted more than 50 Chinese-speaking victims of wage theft.

Meng says Chinese speakers have reported more instances of crime to the organisation than any other non-English speaking group. 

She's also experienced the issue first-hand.

After graduating in 2020, Meng interviewed for five jobs in Adelaide's CBD with employers who initially promised her a legitimate salary.

But by the second interview, all employers had substantially changed their offers. 

 

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