Embattled convenience chain 7-Eleven has launched an in-house, streamlined wage repayment program after booting the independent Fels Wage Fairness Panel. 

 “7-Eleven took the Wage Repayment Program process in-house in order to deliver a robust and efficient process that puts money in the hands of aggrieved franchisee staff as quickly as possible,” said 7-Eleven CEO Angus McKay.

“The Program meets our commitment to right past wrongs. It meets the standards we set for ourselves and those that the community expects of us.

“We are happy to be judged on our actions, and will publicly report our progress as we move forward.”

This is the most recent development since a string of reports of short-changing and systemic non-compliance was exposed at the sacked independent wage claims panel.

The in-house program is supported by an independent Secretariat and backed by Deloitte. The Fair Work Ombudsman has also been invited to review the new protocol.

However, an ABC report states the axed panel chairman Professor Allan Fels is not convinced about the program and its trustworthiness.

"The new arrangement is unexplained and somewhat ambiguous as to whether 7-Eleven or Deloitte's or some combination makes a decision. But either way, I don't think the claimants will have much faith in the process and its independence," he said.

"Everything I heard from 7-Eleven for months was aimed at cutting the cost to them of the process, by setting really high standards and making it difficult to get claims through.

"I've [got] no reason to believe they have departed from that."