Melb bike courier taken for ride by boss

A Melbourne bike courier has been taken for a ride by his employer, who misclassified him as an independent contractor and then underpaid him more than $7000.

The 20-year-old was told each workday what to do by his employer, Z Transport Group, and did not have an ABN or issue invoices.

Yet he was treated as an contractor and recieved less than the minimum wage.

The company did not respond in time to an initial Fair Work Australia compliance notice and the $7,641 in wages owed were not paid to the courier until legal action started.

The Fair Work Ombudsman takes the case to the Federal Circuit Court, in Melbourne, on Wednesday.

Z Transport Group faces fines up to $51,000 and its owner, Bacchus Marsh man Vincent John Smits, could also be fined up to $5100.