Minimum Wage Lawsuit Against Eagle Ford Operators
Australian-based BHP has been hit with a lawsuit from workers claiming underpayment of the minimum wage and overtime, according to Australian news sources.
Related: BHP in the Eagle Ford
Linda Cox, a former gate guard at BHP’s Dilworth Ranch in McMullen County, filed a class action lawsuit against Chapa Gate Guard Service, BHP Billion and BHP Billiton Petroleum. Cox alleges that the three companies violated the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) of 1938 by paying her less than the minimum wage in addition to not paying overtime penalties and failing to record all of the time she worked.
Cox worked as a guard from October 2012 to July 2014. In addition to opening and closing gates and completing gate access logs, she and other guards were ‘on call’ 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They were even required to live on the premises.
The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 has set the legal minimum wage for workers in the United States at $7.25per hour.
The Australian Financial Review also says that workers filed a similar action against Chapa and Chesapeake Energy, claiming companies withheld overtime pay and ignored minimum wags laws.
BHP entered the Eagle Ford Shale Ply in 2011 when the company acquired Petrohawk for over $12 billion.