As most people are aware Woolworths has underpaid its employees over the last 10 years, possibly longer, equally a bill of $300 million so far. A potential class action against the supermarket giant claims the bill to be as high as $620 million and climbing.

Most current and former Team Members are starting to receive their underpayments from Woolworths beginning tonight, Tuesday 7 January 2020. Even though the supermarket swore payments would be made, very publicly, prior to Christmas. Where’s our compensation for that Brad & Claire?!

I have worked for the company for the last 8 years and recently resigned because of this underpayment and received my letter today with my payout figured. Shocked, but not surprised, at how much they have underpaid for only the last two years my fiancé and I began planning what to do with the money. 

However to our shock and disgust, find out that we haven’t even received half of what is owed to us because Woolworths has decided that the Team Members, the victims of this gross negligence, wage theft and “underpayment”, should pay tax and be deducted interest from the payment.

Brad Banducci, Claire Peters, I now speak to you. You both know who I am and what I contributed to this company. Being the only Team Member to have ever done work, unpaid and in their own time, for your Queensland Support Office. I want you to listen and explain to all of us, victims of your wage theft, because let’s be honest, it’s no underpayment, the company has known about this for years, every Manager knew this, it is wage theft. Tell me how it’s fair that the victims of your wage theft are responsible for paying tax on your mistake. Tell me how it’s fair we be deducted interest and pay up to $20,000AUD for your mistakes. Tell me how someone who does very little physical work, on millions a year, tell me how it’s fair that your victims pay for your mistake.

Woolworths it’s time you own up to your crime and pay every Team Member what they’re truly owed, you pay the taxes, you pay the deductions and reward your victims for putting up with a company that Fair Work should dissemble.

I eagerly await your response.