Aussie labour laws under spotlight following 7-Eleven employee mistreatment allegations

Chain store 7-Eleven may be under investigation amid claims it is taking advantage of its workers, underpaying and overworking them.

Greens MP Adam Bandt has urged for a senate inquiry into working visas and a special hearing to look at claims 7-Eleven workers on international student visas were being forced to work double shifts for half-pay.

"Something is wrong in Australia when the boss of 7-Eleven is a billionaire but its workers are getting paid under $10 an hour and threatened with deportation," Mr Bandt said.

A joint Fairfax-Four Corners investigation found up to two-thirds of 7-Eleven stores could be underpaying workers.

It also said some franchisees were threatening to report international students to Immigration unless they worked double shifts for less money.

The company is yet to publicly comment on the matter.

Mr Bandt said the government wasn't doing enough to make sure people who came from overseas weren't exploited.

"Far too much of the enforcement of our labour laws is left up to the businesses themselves," he said.