Sports retailer made to pay

TASMANIA: National sporting goods retailer A-Mart All Sports has been fined more than $50,000 for underpaying staff at two of its stores in Tasmania. The group was fined a total of $52,800 during an appearance in the Federal Magistrates Court where it faced two breaches of the Workplace Relations Act in 2005 and 2006.

The breaches involved underpayments of $41,000 and affected 44 staff at A-Mart All Sports Glenorchy and Hobart stores between September 30 2005 and July 2006.

The court heard evidence that the staff, mostly junior or casual, were required to do unpaid work 15 or 30 minutes before and after their shifts.

In summing up Federal Magistrate Philip Burchardt said the evidence showed the unpaid work was strictly enforced. Making people work for nothing was "outrageous" and warranted a severe penalty, he said.