The Fair Work Ombudsman has declined to comment on its role in ensuring compliance with workplace laws, following the latest underpayment scandal to hit the retail sector.
Underpayment scandals at Woolworths, Wesfarmers, MJ Bale and Super Retail Group have given rise to questions on whether the issue is structural or singular.
ragtrader.com.au asked the Ombudsman to comment on the alarming $300 million underpayment storm facing national giant Woolworths. It follows similar issues at several retailers, potentially dating as far back as 2010.
The Office of the Fair Work Ombudsman is charged with investigating workplace complaints and enforces compliance with national workplace laws.
In the past year, major retailers have admitted non-compliance over several years due to issues or oversights in implementing enterprise or award agreements.
While the Ombudsman has issued several statements blasting retailers, it did not answer ragtrader.com.au's questions around compliance.
These included:
'Why are the underpayments coming to the surface now, given they date back years?'
And:
'What role does the Ombudsman have in monitoring companies to ensure their payroll practices are legally compliant?'
Woolworths has announced it will now independently conduct a review of all retail brands in its portfolio.