9 September 2025

The Fair Work Ombudsman has secured $38,500 in penalties in court against the former operators of a United Petroleum outlet in South Australia for breaches including staff underpayments.

The Federal Circuit and Family Court has imposed a $35,000 penalty against Sai Enterprises Pty Ltd, which formerly operated the United Petroleum outlet at Queenstown in Adelaide, and a $3,500 penalty against the outlet’s former manager, Raman Monga.

The Fair Work Ombudsman audited Sai Enterprises as part of an investigation.

The regulator discovered that in 2021, the company had failed to pay three workers a total of $2,668 in accrued but untaken annual leave entitlements at the conclusion of their employment, owed under the Fair Work Act’s National Employment Standards.

All three of the workers were international students.

Sai Enterprises also breached workplace laws by failing to issue the workers with pay slips within one working day of making a payment and by failing to have written agreements for part-time staff.

Mr Monga was penalised for his involvement in the failures to pay annual leave on termination of employment for two of the workers, and in the breach of pay slip laws for all three workers.

The affected workers were back-paid in full after the FWO started investigating.

Fair Work Ombudsman Anna Booth said the penalties imposed should send a message about the importance of complying with workplace laws.

“All employers have a responsibility to ensure they pay their staff all lawful entitlements and issue them with pay slips – which are essential to workers understanding if they have been paid correctly,” Ms Booth said.

“We expect every employer to follow laws requiring them to provide pay slips to their employees within one business day of them being paid.

“Employers also need to be aware that taking action to protect migrant workers is a priority for the Fair Work Ombudsman. Anybody with concerns about their entitlements should contact the Fair Work Ombudsman for free assistance.”

Judge Stewart Brown found that there was a need to impose penalties to deter other employers from similar conduct in future.

Judge Brown said he accepted that the underpayments “were not trifling amounts for the individuals concerned and each was compelled to wait a significant time for reimbursement”.

“In addition, were it not for the fact of the FWO’s general investigation into United Petroleum outlets, it is unlikely that the shortfall would have ever been detected,” Judge Brown said.

Judge Brown also found that pay slips played a central role in the maintenance of minimum wage standards.

“Their prompt provision is essential to ensuring employees know what they have been paid; at what rate; over what period of time; so they can ensure the correctness of what they have been paid”, Judge Brown said.

The litigation against Sai Enterprises and Mr Monga is one of five commenced by the Fair Work Ombudsman against former operators of United Petroleum-branded outlets, which follow a FWO investigation into the United Petroleum network commenced in response to concerns about non-compliance.

The investigation involved audits of 20 United Petroleum-branded outlets across Tasmania, Queensland, NSW, Victoria and South Australia.

Two of the legal actions were finalised in court in February this year, with the Fair Work Ombudsman securing $179,221 in penalties in relation to underpayments of workers at two United Petroleum-branded outlets in Tasmania.

Another legal action was finalised in August 2025 with Navaneeth Gogikar, who formerly operated a United Petroleum outlet in Brisbane as a sole trader, being penalised $15,984.

The other court case - against sole trader Bharathi Karnati, in relation to an outlet in Melbourne - is ongoing.

One of the FWO’s investigations is ongoing.

The Fair Work Ombudsman filed 146 litigations against employers involving visa holder workers, and secured nearly $23 million in penalties in cases that have included visa holder workers, in the seven financial years to June 2024.

Employers and employees can visit www.fairwork.gov.au or call the Fair Work Infoline on 13 13 94 for free advice and assistance. An interpreter service is available on 13 14 50. Employees can also seek information from their employer and their union, if they are a union member.

The FWO has targeted resources for visa holder workers – who have the same workplace rights as other workers.

NOTE: The Fair Work Ombudsman makes no allegations against the current operators of the United Petroleum outlet in Queenstown.