Earlier this week, a Four Corners investigation exposed 7-Eleven for massively underpaying staff at their petrol and convenience stores, sending the company into immediate damage control. (Notice how they oh-so-casually didn’t mention it was ‘Bring-Your-Own-Cup Day‘ the other day?)
Now, a franchisee at United Petroleum service stations have reached out to the ABC to say that they, too, are guilty of underpaying workers. Speaking anonymously, he told the ABC that he’s been paying employees just $15 per hour to staff his open 24 hours a day service station, and that he reckons some employees are getting paid as little as $10-$12 an hour.
He claims to have tried talking to senior managers at United Petroleum, and getting nada back, while also admitted to working the books to put employees down as working 20 hours per week, instead of the actual 40-50.
The franchisee’s allegations are backed up by what appears to be another, different franchisee, who in 2013 sent an unanswered email to two senior managers that says: “I really want to be able to afford & start paying award rates but the financial compulsions are something I do not have control over. I believe everyone else in the network must be in (sic) same position.”
In no surprises, United Petroleum has played down the allegations, giving a fairly stock-standard response that they were “shocked” to learn about the 7-Eleven wages scandal, and that “they certainly do not operate in this way,” according to chief operating officer David Szymczak. They also said that it’s simply not possible to investigate the email, but they’re totally down to giving financial advice and assistance to any franchisee if they need it.
Picture: United Petroleum Facebook Page.
via ABC.
