How much will it cost me to participate in the class action?

Joining a class action costs you nothing, and there will be no out of pocket costs for you. The legal fees and costs to run the class action will only be deducted from the settlement amount in the event of a successful outcome.

Will my contact details be kept private?

Yes, your contact details will remain confidential. Shine Lawyers will only use your personal information strictly for the purpose of the investigation and subsequent legal proceedings. In all other cases, we will seek your consent before disclosing any of your personal information or only if such disclosure is ordered by the Court.

Stolen Wages Class Action

Shine Lawyers is investigating legal action on behalf of thousands of Indigenous Australians whose wages were unjustly withheld or not paid as a result of wage control legislation in effect until 1972.

What is the Stolen Wages Class Action Investigation about?

A class action is being investigated on behalf of Indigenous Australians who worked in the Western Australia whose wages were unjustly withheld or not paid as a result of wage control legislation in effect from the late 1800s until the 1970s. It is estimated that tens of thousands of indigenous workers across Australia never received their wages.

The legislation, which was implemented to control the employment and wages of Indigenous Australians, operated under the Native Administration Act 1936 and subsequent Native Welfare Act 1963 in Western Australia.

Affected workers were employed in many different industries and held roles such as stockmen, farm hands, laundry assistants, kitchen hands, labourers and domestic workers.

It is estimated millions in stolen or unpaid wages could be owed. This case aims to ensure anyone impacted is able to recover their stolen wages.

Can I join the Stolen Wages Class Action Investigation?

To be a part of this class action:

You must be Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.

You or your family must have worked in WA before 1972.

You or your family were not paid all of your wages.

If you answered yes to the above, and you would like to talk to someone about your options, you can contact us and speak to a lawyer who may be able to help you to recover your family's wages.

How to register for the Stolen Wages Class Action Investigation

To register for the Stolen Wages Class Action Investigation on a no-cost, obligation-free and completely confidential basis, please click the ‘Register Now’ button below and fill out the registration form.

Sign up for the investigation

If you have any questions or require any assistance in registering for the class action, please contact our Stolen Wages Class Action Investigation team on 1800 976 150.

Background

Shine Lawyers is proud to work with, and have the support of Litigation Lending Services in this case. Litigation Lending Services funded the Hans Pearson v State of Queensland, Class Action, which on Tuesday, 9 July 2019 achieved a $190 million in-principle settlement, marking an important step in the national reconciliation process.

You can read more of Hans Pearson's story here.