Big fines for underpayments
   The Hobart Mercury.
   NICK CLARK   |   August 02, 2013 11.02am

THE operators of four Japanese restaurants in Tasmania and their business have been fined almost $180,000 for underpaying 50 workers, including many young foreign workers.      :-?

Launceston men Kazuhiro Kojima and Zhicheng Zhang - who own and operate Bento Box restaurants in Launceston and Devonport and the Wan Japanese Restaurant in Launceston - have each been individually fined $27,984.

The company that Kojima and Zhang are directors and part-owners of, Bento Kings Meadows Pty Ltd, which operates the Bento Kings Meadows restaurant at Launceston - has been fined $122,960.

The fines, imposed by Judge John O'Sullivan in the Federal Circuit Court, are the result of legal action taken by the Fair Work Ombudsman after an investigation into underpayments.

The fines were imposed after it was admitted that 50 employees across the four restaurants were underpaid a total of $105,738 in 2010 and 2011.      :(

The employees were predominantly young foreign nationals from Asia, including some who spoke limited English. A number were international students who performed food preparation, customer service, cleaning and cooking duties.

I think Fairwork have undermined the need for unions in Australia.

The pressure is on where I work to get people to work as contractors, I will probably have to get another job or go against my beliefs and condone dodgy business practice.

Now how are they going to enforce that when the economy collapses and we are all face with True Grit Work Choices - take the pittance of leave it....