The living wage crisis in Australian industrial relations

The recent proliferation in Australia of systematic wage underpayment, or wage theft as it is known in the US, is stripping workers of the 'living wage', once a cornerstone of Australia's industrial relations system. This paper considers the dimensions of this phenomenon and some of the policy recommendations for regulatory reform to reduce employer non-compliance with minimum wage standards. The paper concludes with proposals for other measures that may also help arrest what is becoming a living wage crisis and restore fair and reasonable wages to workers, regardless of employment arrangement or status.