SYDNEY, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Australia's new minimum wage took effect on Sunday, with authorities calling on businesses to check that the higher rates would be implemented in line with their workplace obligations amid latest reports of incorrect payment.
The national minimum wage was raised to 18.93 Australian dollars (14.01 U.S. dollars) an hour, following the announcement of a 3.5-percent increase earlier in June, according to a statement from the Fair Work Ombudsman government workplace relations regulator.
"Employers must take action to pass on the wage increase to their employees to make sure workers are receiving their full lawful entitlements," the regulator's chief Natalie James said.
"Too often we find that the underpayment of wages can be traced back to a failure by employers to apply annual wage rises."
The latest audit of businesses in the mid-north coast and mid-western regions of New South Wales state alone found more than one-third of businesses not paying their staff correctly, according to the regulator.
