David Hollingworth applied with Fair Work Australia to terminate the contract with BRI Security and bring more than 200 security officers – including 12 in Bendigo – back onto the industry award.

Mr Hollingworth had been working as a security guard at La Trobe University in Bendigo, who contracted their security to BRI in February.

Mr Hollingworth and the 11 other security guards had previously been working at the university with a different contracted company.

He alleged he received up to $150 less per fortnight under the BRI award, but the company has flatly denied the claim.

A disciplinary hearing was held on Monday but there was no resolution.

Mr Hollingworth said the company threatened to fire him for raising the allegations.

“We were told that we would be paid under the 2010 security industry reward, only to be forced by BRI to sign this lesser agreement,” he said.

“Security jobs in Bendigo being full-time are pretty hard to get hold of. Everybody signed up. We decided we would challenge it through Fair Work, and that’s what we’re proceeding to do now.”

A date has yet to be set for a hearing with Fair Work.

Mr Hollingworth was joined by other staff and United Voice officials – the union responsible for security workers – in front of La Trobe Rural Health School on Tuesday to highlight his concerns.

BRI Security state manager for Victoria and Tasmania Michael Portoglou said the company had continually raised its rate for employees.

“BRI has reviewed the rates and raised them to ensure the agreement provides pay and conditions that are ‘’better off overall’’ when compared against the Security Industry Award 2010,” he said.

“As evidence of the lawfulness of our agreement and fairness to our employees, in 2016 BRI raised its pay rates at a percentage higher than that handed down by the Fair Work Commission.”