Rig painters 'paid $3 an hour'
Four Filipino men hired to paint two oil rigs off the coast of WA were paid less than $3 an hour for working 12-hour days, a Perth court has been told.
Three companies are being prosecuted over the employment of Dos Cordilla, Zenry Peteros, Roel Flores and Christopher Gelacio, on two Woodside rigs from March 2009.
The rigs' manager, Maersk Drilling, is said to have paid $400-a-day for each man.
But the Fair Work ombudsman alleges the painters received only $US900 each for a 28-day, 12-hours-a-day roster, after subcontracting by one Australian firm and two foreign companies.
Court documents show that added up to an underpayment of almost $80,000 to the workers, who were hired on short-term 456 business visitor visas.
Paul Menzies QC, for the ombudsman, told the Federal Court in Perth today emails sent to Thomas Civiello, director of Perth-based company SurveySpec, clearly outlined pay rates way below Australia's minimum wage.
Mr Menzies said he would argue domestic employment laws should apply.
