Woolworths and Coles have revealed the eyewatering bill they have to repay nearly 30,000 staff for historical underpayments that has already become the biggest wage scandal in Australian history.

Following last week’s Federal Court decision, the supermarket giants in separate statements on Monday updated investors on the costs of underpaid wages to staff going back years, with the combined estimated bill exceeding over $1 billion.

In an 863-paragraph judgement on Friday, Justice Nye Perram found both supermarket chains did not comply with their obligation to keep accurate employment records — including rosters, overtime and other entitlements owed under the retail award — of salaried workers.

It brings together four separate proceedings brought by class action law firm Adero Law and the

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