RICHMOND TAKEAWAY FINED

Employment Relations Authority has ruled that Richmond takeaway restaurant, Taste of Egypt pay $92,000 in unpaid wages, penalties and interest and costs after an investigation. The restaurant has been sold but owners and directors, Dianne MacFarlane and Saeed Awad have a second establishment under the same name. Treatment of Richmond workers Rohit Sharma and Gurpreet Singh was considered poor and warranted a significant penalty by authority member Michael Loftus. “Migrant workers are a particularly vulnerable section of the workforce and are an increasing focus for the ministry’s enforcement operations,” said Labour Inspectorate regional manager Kevin Finnegan. “This ruling sends a clear message to employers that failure to comply with the minimum labour standards will not be tolerated.”