Latest news with #wages


Free Malaysia Today
17 hours ago
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Kawaguchi facing charges over unpaid worker wages, says source
Kawaguchi Manufacturing Sdn Bhd is facing charges for failing to pay outstanding wages to 249 former employees, according to a source. (Andy Hall pic) PETALING JAYA : The labour department has filed charges against plastic component supplier Kawaguchi Manufacturing Sdn Bhd — now known as Alpha Integral Sdn Bhd — over its alleged failure to pay outstanding wages to 249 former employees, a source said. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the source said the case was called up in court on July 16 but was postponed as the department's officers were unable to serve the summons on the company or its director. 'As a result the court fixed a new date in September to allow the prosecution time to serve the summons,' the source said. Louis Liaw Chambers, the law firm representing the affected workers, told FMT the charges relate to the company's purported failure to comply with orders issued by a labour court. Kawaguchi Manufacturing had in December last year agreed to pay the workers their salary arrears in nine instalments, beginning January 15, with the rest due monthly from April 2025 until November 2025. The agreements were reached after the former workers staged a peaceful protest at the company's factory in Port Klang. They agreements were recorded in orders issued by the labour court. The company made the first payment, but is alleged to have missed payments due in April, May, June and July. Last Friday, it was reported that the workers' lawyers had issued the company with a letter of demand giving it until July 21 to settle all overdue payments or risk further legal action. Kawaguchi Manufacturing is understood not to have responded to the letter or met any of the outstanding payments. Separately, independent migrant worker rights activist Andy Hall said the labour department's decision to take Kawaguchi Manufacturing to court was 'timely and appropriate'. 'Accountability is essential and deeply personal for the exploited workers in this case,' he said when contacted. However, Hall expressed concern that victims of 'modern slavery' are still required to fund their own legal representation.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
What's the average hourly pay in MA? It's higher than most states. How your pay compares
Massachusetts has been bumped down a spot and is now the third-highest hourly earnings in the country, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Bureau of Labor Statistics released its total private average hourly earnings by state, along with the average weekly earnings and the average number of hours Americans work per week, for June 2025. The data shows that the state of Washington surpassed Massachusetts for average hourly earnings. In May, Massachusetts was ranked at the No. 2 highest earning state. Here are the average hourly earnings for Massachusetts residents and how they compare to other states. What is the average hourly pay in Massachusetts? On average, Bay Staters earn $42.00 per hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This figure is not seasonally adjusted. This means that per week, Massachusetts workers earn $1,402.80 on average. How many hours per week do people in Massachusetts work? Massachusetts residents work 33.4 hours per week on average, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. How does Massachusetts compare to other New England states? Massachusetts is the top-earning state in New England. Here's what the other states earn as of June 2025. Massachusetts, $42.00 Connecticut, $38.98 Rhode Island, $36.38 New Hampshire, $35.18 Vermont, $34.79 Maine, $32.43 Where do people earn the most per hour? Employees in the nation's capital of Washington, D.C., earn the most money with an average hourly pay of $54.21 per hour. This is $12.21 per hour more than what workers in Massachusetts make. The state with the second-highest hourly earnings is Washington, on the West Coast, with $42.26. This is just 26 cents per hour more than what workers in Massachusetts make. What state earns the least per hour? Mississippi lands in last place for earnings per hour. Average hourly earnings in this Southern state are just $27.95. Contributing: Alex Perry This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: What's the average hourly pay in Massachusetts? Higher than most states Solve the daily Crossword

News.com.au
2 days ago
- Lifestyle
- News.com.au
Backpacker stunned by eye-watering IGA wages in Australia
A British backpacker has been left gobsmacked by how much cash she's raking in working at a remote supermarket in Western Australia, and it's a lot more than she made slogging 60-hour weeks back home. Lauren, 29, from Liverpool, quit her job as a support worker earlier this year and packed her bags for the other side of the world. She landed a gig stacking shelves at an IGA in Derby, tucked away in the Kimberley region of WA, Daily Mail reports. The young expat took to TikTok to share her surprise at earning significantly more in a laid-back job than she ever did in the UK, and the video quickly blew up. 'My wages in Australia compared to my wages at home need to be spoken about,' she told followers. Back in England, Lauren was earning £12.50 ($A23) an hour as a support worker. Despite working 60-hour weeks, including bank holidays and public holidays, she only brought home around £2500 ($A4700) monthly. Over here? A totally different story. 'My rate of pay, Monday to Friday, is $34, which is the equivalent of £16 an hour,' the 29-year-old said. 'And on public holidays, my rate of pay is $64 an hour, which is equivalent to about £30 an hour.' The expat reckons she's making more money stacking shelves 40 hours a week in the outback than she did slogging it out for 60 hours in healthcare. 'I just cannot believe the difference in wages. It's just insane,' she added. While Lauren admits the cost of living in Australia is higher, she still feels she's coming out on top. 'I know accommodation can be expensive here, and that's part of why the pay is higher,' she said. But, she added, sharing with housemates helps ease the financial sting. 'I've decided to experience outback life, so I've come to Derby. My accommodation is $165 a week – around £80,' she said. 700,000 views later, hundreds of fellow Brits jumped into the comments to vent, or plan their own Aussie escape. 'And this is why everyone is leaving the UK. It's going to s**t. 'I'm emigrating in December to Perth and I can't wait for the better work/life balance,' one person wrote. 'I earn more here working at David Jones in retail than I did in a health clinic,' another said. 'You can earn a decent amount in hospitality and retail, especially on weekends. So good.' 'Put me down for every Sunday and public holiday.' Another added, 'Fellow Scouser here, how beautiful is Western Australia, enjoy and get that bank.' 'I miss that place. I did the same 20 years ago and I urge you not to come back,' one nostalgic Brit commented. But not everyone was buying it. 'Give your head a wobble. The cost of living is double over there, that's why you need more money,' one user argued. 'You can't just compare wages. Brits can travel all over Europe in a couple hours for so cheap, would cost Aussie families $30k … not to mention the price of housing in Australia.' 'Everything in the UK is cheaper. I lived there for five years. Food, rent, electricity, cars, fuel, all cheaper.' 'A pint of milk in Australia costs $8 compared to £1 in the UK,' someone else claimed. Others pointed out it's not all sunshine and fat pay slips Down Under, especially for frontline workers. 'As a nurse, I earned more in the UK than here. Singing earns me more here. Crazy!' And the bigger picture? It's not exactly rosy. A report released last month revealed just how little Aussies on minimum wage are able to save once the essentials are paid for. According to Anglicare's 2025 Cost of Living Index, a single person earning minimum wage has just $33 left each week after paying for rent, food and transport. For a couple with two kids, both working full-time? A dismal $5. Since 2023, the amount left over has shrunk by $24 a week, largely thanks to skyrocketing rental prices. For single parents, the situation is even grimmer, with only $1 left over after essential expenses, even when factoring in government support like the Family Tax Benefit and Commonwealth Rent Assistance, which adds a much-needed $227 to their budgets. So while Lauren's riding high on shelf-stacking pay cheques, not everyone in Australia is feeling quite so flush.


BBC News
2 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
A deadwood dilemma
Manchester United are trying to make ends meet by offloading their so-called "deadwood" but it will not be easy without losing a lot of money.These players are getting blanked by Ruben Amorim. They are not training with the first-team squad and not joining the A team for the pre-season treatment is intended to force them out and it often does, but it can have the opposite wages alone of Antony, Alejandro Garnacho, Marcus Rashford, Tyrell Malacia and Jadon Sancho are estimated to be about £1m a week. This is a serious drain on resources but the players will not care a £17m-per-year salary may be covered by his loan to Barcelona this season, but remember that this once extremely valuable asset apparently can't now be sold for a they feel badly or unfairly treated, footballers are not averse to digging their heels in and refusing to move unless everything suits them perfectly, especially have to pay them until they move or their contracts run out, so they are in no players haven't asked to leave so from their perspective it is the club that is breaking the agreed contract, not argument usually follows: "You don't want me, so why don't you pay up my contract in full and I will leave with a smile on my face?" And a bad back carrying all that dosh no face-offs will be resolved in time but United do not have a strong hand in negotiations. Few other clubs will pay top prices for apparently damaged goods, especially with those huge summer's buys have been impressive by United so far, but they need more and that could be scuppered unless those unwanted players are carefully up to read more from Pat Nevin in his Football Extra newsletter


CBC
3 days ago
- Business
- CBC
Sudbury, Ont., commercial waste workers hit the picket lines over pay concerns
Workers in Sudbury's commercial waste division walked off the job Friday as part of a strike over wages. The 25 members of the Labourers' International Union of North America (LiUNA) Local 493 say Waste Management's pay hasn't kept up with the rising cost of living, and they're seeking increases to bring them in line with workers in other Ontario cities. While waste collection services for businesses and apartment buildings are affected, residential garbage and recycling pickup continues uninterrupted. That work is handled by a separate division represented by a different union. "The main issue right now is monetary concerns," said Mike Ryan, business manager for Local 493. Ryan said workers are especially frustrated given the cost-of-living increases seen during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. "They're not even maintaining anymore with the price of everything," he said. "They have to work more overtime just to maintain what they had pre-COVID." He added that members are also seeking wage parity with Waste Management employees in cities like Toronto, Hamilton, Kitchener, and Waterloo, arguing that Sudbury is among the company's most profitable operations in the province. 'Respect our picket line' While Waste Management has brought in managers and workers from outside the region to continue servicing commercial clients, Ryan warned that service quality may suffer. "There is going to be some slowdown in service," he said. "The members that we represent in the unit are very highly professional." Picketers were seen Monday blocking a Waste Management truck from entering the facility. "There's no legislation at this level that would prevent the employer from bringing in whatever you want to call them, replacement workers or scabs," he said. "So what our members are doing right now is pleading with those people — saying, 'we're on strike here for causes reasons and please respect our picket line.'" Ryan said Waste Management presented what they considered a fair and equitable final offer, but when the membership held a ratification vote, it was overwhelmingly rejected. In a statement to CBC News, Waste Management spokesperson Jessica Kropf confirmed the strike and said the company remains committed to negotiating in good faith. "We believe our proposals are fair and competitive," she said. "We are eager to reach an agreement with LiUNA Local 493 that recognizes the drivers' and technicians' many contributions to the company and community." She added that no disruptions to commercial service are expected and the company is working closely with affected clients. The City of Greater Sudbury said it does not comment on the operations of private companies but confirmed that residential waste collection is not impacted by the strike. Currently, the next meeting is open-ended, Ryan said he's ready to return to the bargaining table if Waste Management initiates contact and shows willingness to address the workers' concerns.