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6 September 2026

How ABNs are increasingly being used as a tool for exploitation

Downunder Voices Newsroom

Source reporting: abc.net.au

How ABNs are increasingly being used as a tool for exploitation

A cohort of workers in Australia is being short-changed almost $3. 2 billion each year — and many bosses are perpetrating the underpayment through 11-digital numbers.

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Downunder Voices provides an independently written summary and community perspective based on information published by the original source. The original publisher remains responsible for its reporting.

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7 September 2026

$3.2 billion lost: ABNs are being used to underpay migrant workers — time for an urgent fix

Recent reporting shows employers are increasingly using Australian Business Numbers (ABNs) to misclassify and short-change workers, costing a cohort of employees about $3.2 billion a year. Many bosses are perpetrating underpayment through 11‑digit ABNs, exposing cracks in enforcement and labour protections.

Community angle

Local communities rely on fair workplaces. When migrant workers are underpaid through ABN misclassification it not only harms those individuals and their families, it also corrodes wages and conditions for everyone in sectors that depend on migrant labour. Ordinary Australians should care because wage theft distorts competition, pressures services and undermines social cohesion.

Source: https://www.bing.com/news/search?q=Australia&qft=sortbydate%3d%221%22&format=rssOriginal source

7 September 2026

One Nation's super plan: risky short-term relief that could hollow out retirements

One Nation proposes letting renters and mortgage holders divert part of their superannuation into take-home pay for up to three years. It looks like a quick fix for cost-of-living pressures, but risks long-term harm to retirement savings and shifts responsibility from governments to individuals.

Community angle

Many Australians juggling rent or mortgage payments will understand the immediate appeal of extra cash now. But ordinary savers should also be warned that draining super balances to pay living costs transfers future hardship to older Australians and increases pressure on the public purse. This affects tenants, homeowners, retirees and taxpayers alike.

Source: https://www.abc.net.au/news/feed/45910/rss.xmlOriginal source