The operators of Melbourne restaurant Red Salmon have been hit with almost $200,000 in penalties, after they were found to be deliberately underpaying workers.
Abdul Hafeez Bilwani, who previously owned the Red Salmon restaurant at the Westfield Knox shopping centre in Wantirna, has been fined $29,500 and his company Finn Fish Pty Ltd has been fined an additional $163,000.
Federal Circuit Court Judge Grant Riethmuller found 13 employees at the restaurant, including six workers under 21, were underpaid a combined total of $26,707 over a period of three and a half months in 2015.
Workers were paid flat rates which failed to meet the minimum hourly rate and did not meet weekend, overtime, night and public holiday penalty rates under the Restaurant Industry Award 2010.
Bilwani and his company also contravened workplace laws by failing to keep proper employment records and failing to comply with a Notice to Produce pay records.
The employees have now been back-paid in full.
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