# Federal Court Fines Labour Hire Firm Over Migrant Worker Underpayments Judge imposes $75,600 penalty on Four Seasons Workforce for failing to pay berry pickers. - **Source:** [ABC Australia – Just In](https://www.abc.net.au/news/justin) - **Published:** 2026-11-11 - **Topic:** [politics](https://brifing.si/c/politics) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/811b1e60-48e0-47cb-9956-40152754d72a ## Court Imposes Significant Penalties The Federal Court has ordered Four Seasons Workforce and its director, Pik Yok Chey, to pay $75,600 in fines. This penalty follows the company's failure to comply with two statutory compliance notices issued by the Fair Work Ombudsman regarding the underpayment of migrant workers employed as blueberry pickers in the Coffs Harbour region. ## Vulnerability of Migrant Pieceworkers Judge Robert Cameron highlighted the extreme vulnerability of the affected workers, who were employed on temporary visas with limited English proficiency. These individuals were hired on a piecework basis, meaning their pay was determined by the weight of blueberries picked, rather than receiving the guaranteed minimum hourly rate required by the horticulture award. ## Regulatory Enforcement and Compliance The Fair Work Ombudsman initiated the investigation after receiving complaints from Chinese and Japanese backpackers who worked for the firm between 2023 and 2024. Despite receiving multiple notices to rectify these payment discrepancies, the company failed to provide the required back-pay entitlements, leading to the subsequent legal action taken by the federal regulator. ## Minimum Wage Standards Violated Matthew Raggatt, media director for the Fair Work Ombudsman, clarified that pieceworkers must receive no less than the minimum hourly rate for casual fruit pickers under the relevant award. The firm’s failure to meet this statutory floor for every day worked formed the core of the legal contravention addressed by the court. ## Deterrence as a Judicial Goal In his judgment, Judge Cameron emphasized that the penalty serves as a warning to other organizations operating within the horticulture sector. He noted that a failure to comply with statutory notices is a serious offense and that financial penalties must be sufficient to deter similar contraventions by other like-minded persons or labour hire firms. ## Ongoing Investigations in Region The regulator continues to investigate the horticulture sector across the Coffs Coast and Nambucca Valley. A separate litigation case was filed in July 2026 regarding the alleged underpayment of two Japanese fruit pickers at a Halfway Creek farm, where workers were reportedly underpaid approximately $7,000 over a seven-week period of employment. ## Worker Advocacy and Empowerment Kun Du, one of the workers involved in the case, publicly encouraged other migrant employees to come forward if they face similar exploitation. Her statement emphasizes the importance of being brave and fighting for fair compensation, serving as a call to action for other vulnerable workers within the Australian agricultural labour market. ## Broader Sector Compliance Trends This case is part of a wider effort by the Fair Work Ombudsman to improve compliance within the horticulture industry. In August of this year, the regulator secured over $180,000 in penalties in Queensland. These actions underscore a persistent regulatory focus on protecting migrant workers from systemic wage theft in rural sectors. ## Sources covering this story - https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-11-11/four-seasons-workforce-director-fined-more-than-75k/107372220 — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._