Research from the University of Sydney and University of New South Wales has found Australian workers are owed an estimated billion dollars, with almost 1 third being paid $12 an hour or less.
It was also revealed only one in ten migrant workers have taken action to recover unpaid wages, with few reporting it to the Fair Work Ombudsman.
The research revealed the reasons for the lack of confidence in migrant workers being mainly fear of job-less-ness, fear of migrant visa restrictions or citizenship status.