Third of wine region firms flout workplace laws

A third of wine industry employers in the Barossa and McClaren Vale were found to have breached workplace laws.
Source: HWT Image Library

AT least a third of employers in SA's wine regions are not complying with workplace laws.

Fair Work Ombudsman inspectors visited 62 wineries and vineyards in the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale regions last November to scrutinise record-keeping and pay slip practices and found 40 were compliant.

At one McLaren Vale winery workers were underpaid weekend penalty rates. Inspectors recovered $16,000 for 10 employees.

Ombudsman executive director Michael Campbell said there was room for improvement but most employers were compliant.