{
  "id": 2305474,
  "title": "Fair Work warning as court action looms over berry pickers' pay",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/21/fair-work-warning-as-court-action-looms-over-berry-pickers-pay",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-21T04:45:38.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "ABC News AU",
    "slug": "abc-news-au",
    "url": "https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08-21/labour-hire-firm-in-court-for-allegedly-underpaying-pickers/107058266"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Fair Work Ombudsman is taking legal action against labour-hire company Four Seasons Workforce for allegedly underpaying Chinese and Japanese workers in the Coffs Harbour region. If found guilty, the company could be fined $99,000 per offence. The case will be heard in the Federal Court next month. Fair Work Ombudsman Anna Booth issued a stern warning to labour-hire firms and farms in the region, stating, \"We are coming for you.\" This follows three court actions taken against labour-hire companies this year, two of which operated on the Coffs Coast. The ombudsman accused Four Seasons Workforce of underpaying workers on a piecework basis, failing to comply with the Pieceworker Guaranteed Minimum Rate. Two workers, a Chinese national and a Japanese national, both on working holiday visas, were allegedly underpaid between July 2023 and October 2024. Fair Work has received complaints from these workers, and the company could face penalties of up to $99,000 per offence, while the company's director could face penalties of up to $19,800 per offence.",
  "summary": "The Fair Work Ombudsman takes court action against a labour-hire company for allegedly underpaying berry pickers on the Coffs Coast.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}