An owner of a popular nationwide Indian restaurant chain in New Zealand has been fined $41,000 for underpaying staff, reports.
Satish Shetty, director of Shamiana and Shamiana Enterprises has been fined by NZ’a Labour Inspectorate after the company failed to pay staff minimum wage and holiday pay.
Several staff members across the 22 restaurants the company ran nationwide complained to NZ authorities that Shetty was not upholding his employee’s basic employment rights.
The chain last year was ordered to pay a former manager $18,000 by the Employment Relations Authority in wage arrears and compensation.
Despite the previous order and several complaints by the staff, Shetty continued to underpay the staff, the states.
Labour Inspectorate regional manager David Milne said, "Not only is underpayment and mistreatment at the detriment of employees, it also gives companies an unfair commercial advantage over their law-abiding competitors."
Shamiana was ordered to pay $33,000 and Shamiana Enterprises was ordered to pay $18,000 for the repeat breaches.
There have been similar cases of workplace exploitation in Indian restaurants in Australia where owners have been fined for underpaying staff and breaching rules.
Two Indian international students working as waitresses in an Indian restaurant in Melbourne were short-changed by the owner of the restaurant.
A Fair Work Ombudsman legal action secured a for failing to back-pay two underpaid Indian workers.
A $500 penalty was imposed against Hari Pal, who formerly owned and operated Konna Indian Cuisine, later renamed Punjabi Tandoori Corner, in Richmond.
Perth-based Sushil Kumar, who formerly owned and ran the Bricklane British Curry House and Bikaner India (WA and later dismissing him because he lodged a workers’ compensation claim after injuring his back at work.
To know if you are being exploited at work or if you are an employer or an employee seeking assistance, visit the or call the Fair Work Infoline on 13 13 94. An interpreter service is available on 13 14 50.
