Legislation needed to force sub-contractor super

7 April 2009
| By By Mike Taylor |

One of the largest superannuation funds in the building and construction sector, Queensland-based BUSSQ, has called on the Federal Government to legislate to require self-employed sub-contractors to contribute to their own superannuation.

BUSSQ chief executive David O'Sullivan has claimed that in the absence of such legislation an estimated 200,000 people working as sub-contractors in the building and construction industry risk missing out on superannuation.

He said the growing number of employees becoming sub-contractors meant Australia's superannuation legislation had a massive gap that needed to be patched.

"These workers get a high hourly rate as sub-contractors which is all-inclusive and meant to cover the likes of holiday pay and superannuation, yet many workers do not contribute to their own superannuation," O'Sullivan said.

He claimed that without legislative intervention to address the issue, the Government risked creating an underclass.

O'Sullivan said the Australian Taxation Office did not seem to monitor this class of employee and had not had the determination or resources to deal with what was a major issue.

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