Mushroom pickers left in the dark

THE former head of the Australian Mushroom Growers’ Association’s Queensland division will face court today over claims his farm underpaid pickers more than half a million dollars.

Marland Mushrooms, owned by Troy Marland, is being accused in the Federal Court of underpaying 406 workers at its Stapylton farm, north-west of the Gold Coast.

The Fair Work Ombudsman is alleging the mushroom pickers were underpaid $646,711 over an eight-month period in 2014.

The labour-hire firm that supplied the workers, HRS Country, has already admitted short-changing the workers.

The workers were not paid hourly or weekly rates and instead offered “piece rates” for the amount of mushrooms picked, pruned and packed.

Under industrial law, piece rates must allow for an average competent picker to earn at least 15 per cent more than the minimum rate under the Horticulture Award.