Communications Electrical and Plumbing Union state organiser Michael Anderson says the union is working with current and former Russell-Smith employees to recover hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid wages and entitlements.
While the company employed almost 200 people at its peak, numbers have dropped significantly, with more workers leaving in recent weeks over concerns about unpaid entitlements.
The remaining employees — numbering about 20 — were told to attend a meeting at the company’s Launceston depot this morning.
The company is also believed to owe in excess of $1 million to electrical wholesalers and other Tasmanian businesses.
The company was formed in 2014, following the collapse of Russell Smith PSG.
Russell-Smith was working on a range of the biggest building projects in Tasmania, including some funded by the Federal and State Governments. In recent weeks, the company was removed from a number of those projects by builders due to concerns about unpaid entitlements.
Tim Vollmer
