Labor workplace relations spokeswoman Michelle O'Byrne renewed calls for a parliamentary inquiry on the matter in the wake of news that supermarket giant Coles had underpaid its workers about $20 million.

She said it was believed that about 50 Tasmanian workers might have been impacted.

"Tasmanian workers are paid on average $10,000 less than people in the same jobs on the mainland - that's almost $200 every week," she said.

"Wage theft makes it even harder for Tasmanians to make ends meet."

"Labor will seek to establish a parliamentary inquiry in 2020 into wage theft and insecure work."

Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Michael Bailey said an inquiry would be "an expensive talkfest".

"No one wants workers to be underpaid, including business owners," he said.

"The reality is that often it is extraordinarily confusing for small businesses to manage our current complicated industrial relations system.

"Even the language around this shows Labor's continual attack on business in "Australia.

"Wage theft is not a fair term in the first place."

Government minister Elise Archer said matters related to disputes on worker payments fell within the federal jurisdiction of the Fair Work Ombudsman and the Fair Work Commission.

"The Tasmanian Government supports the federal government's intention to bring legislation to the parliament to criminalise the exploitation of workers, in particularly in respect of the underpayment of staff wages," she said.

"I find it puzzling as to why Michelle O'Byrne's is focusing on a federal issue being dealt with by the federal government."