A Victorian petrol station operator fined more than $120 000 last year for deliberately underpaying staff is again facing legal action, this time for allegedly ignoring an order to pay compensation to an unfairly dismissed employee.

The Fair Work Ombudsman has commenced proceedings against Wedderburn Petroleum Pty Ltd, which formerly operated a petrol station at 117 High Street, Wedderburn, north west of Bendigo.

In April last year, the Fair Work Commission ordered the company to pay $5000 compensation to an employee it found had been unfairly dismissed in 2013 after working as a console operator and manager for more than two and a half years.

The Fair Work Ombudsman made several requests for the company to comply with the commission’s orders.

“Our inspectors tried to engage with this business to resolve the matter, but were not able to secure cooperation,” says Fair Work Ombudsman, Natalie James.

The current legal action comes after the petrol company was last year fined $123 915 in court for underpaying two other console operators a total of almost $50 000.

Wedderburn Petroleum faces a maximum penalty of $51 000, and the Fair Work Ombudsman is also seeking an additional court order for the company to pay the outstanding compensation to the employee.

A directions hearing is due in the Federal Circuit Court in Melbourne today.