Fair Work warning to labour-hire firms after company allegedly underpays pickers
ABC News
21 Aug 2026
A tray of blueberries
Labour-hire firms often supply the workers who pick berries on Australian farms.
In short:
The Fair Work Ombudsman is taking labour-hire company Four Seasons Workforce to court for allegedly underpaying Chinese and Japanese workers.
The company could be fined $99,000 for every offence if found guilty in the Federal Court.
What's next?
The case will go before the court next in October.
Australia's Fair Work Ombudsman has issued a stark warning to labour-hire firms and farms that are underpaying workers in the Coffs Harbour region: "We are coming for you."
The message came as Fair Work filed a case in the Federal Court against a labour-hire company accused of underpaying two workers about $14,000.
Fair Work Ombudsman Anna Booth said court action had been taken against three labour-hire companies so far this year, two of which were operating on the Coffs Coast.
"If you are underpaying workers in the Coffs Harbour region … then you should be on notice and checking your own supply chain to make sure it is compliant with the Fair Work Act," she said.
"Because we are coming for you."
Fair Work has alleged Four Seasons Workforce Pty Ltd was paying workers on a piecework basis, according to how much they picked.
It has accused the company of not complying with the Pieceworker Guaranteed Minimum Rate, which guarantees workers are paid no less than the minimum hourly rate for casual fruit pickers under the Horticulture Industry Award 2020.
A woman with short blonde hair wearing a beige top and blazer sitting in an office.
Anna Booth says court action has been filed against three companies so far this year.
Earlier this month, a report into modern slavery raised serious concerns about labour-hire firms operating on the Coffs and Mid North coasts, with some workers reporting they were earning less than $7 an hour and were living in overcrowded, squalid accommodation.
The ombudsman took action against Four Seasons Workforce, and the company's sole director, Pik Yok Chey, after Fair Work received complaints from two workers, a Chinese national and a Japanese national.
The pair were both in Australia on working holiday visas, and were both allegedly underpaid at different intervals between July 2023 and October 2024.
Four Seasons Workforce Pty Ltd could face penalties of up to $99,000 per offence and Ms Chey could face penalties of up to $19,800 per offence if the allegations are proven in the Federal Court.
The Fair Work Ombudsman has alleged the company also failed to act on compliance notices within the required time frame.
Ms Booth said Fair Work was seeing underpayments across the horticultural industry.
"We see them in the labour-hire industry predominantly," she said.
"Many growers engage labour-hire companies to supply labour and … this region [Coffs Harbour] is one of our top trouble spot regions that we have identified through our investigations."
Kun Du holds a smoothie while taking a selfie
Kun Du was working on a blueberry farm in the Coffs Harbour region from June and October 2024. ( Supplied: Fair Work Ombudsman)
'I had to borrow money'
When Chinese national Kun Du was working on a blueberry farm on the Coffs Coast, she was allegedly paid so little that she could not afford groceries.
"At times, I had to borrow money from the supervisor on site," Ms Du said in a statement provided by Fair Work.
When she took her case to Fair Work, Four Seasons Workforce allegedly paid her $5,000.
In a statement, Fair Work said the company also allegedly repaid a Japanese national after the ombudsman started legal action.
"When I saw the money, it felt like justice had been served," Ms Du said.
Aerial view of planted blueberries.
The Fair Work Ombudsman is taking a labour-hire company to court after it allegedly underpaid workers. (ABC Landline)
Ms Booth said workers who were on temporary visas were "particularly vulnerable".
"They are often unaware of Australian terms and conditions, they're sometimes nervous about coming to the regulator," she said.
"We do want visa holders to know they have the same rights as any Australian worker, that they can obtain our support and their visa will be protected."
The ABC was unable to contact Four Seasons Workforce for a response.
The case is set to be mentioned in the Federal Court on October 20.
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