Popular Mamak restaurant in court over underpaying workers

Date
    January 19, 2016
    The Age

The operators of a famous Malaysian restaurant in Melbourne are being taken to court for allegedly underpaying workers almost $90,000 and falsifying records to disguise dodgy payments while under investigation.   

The Fair Work Ombudsman has launched legal action against the owners of the popular Mamak restaurants, alleging employees were paid as little as $11 an hour - half the legal rate for adult hospitality workers.

Between February 2012 and April 2015, Mamak Pty Ltd allegedly short-changed six foreign workers a total of $87,349 at one of its two Sydney restaurants. Two of the workers were allegedly denied more than $20,000 each.


According to Fair Work, its inspectors were also allegedly given false records that made it look like higher rates were paid to one worker when this was not the case.   

The workplace watchdog has not yet confirmed if it is investigating the company's Melbourne restaurant on Lonsdale Street.

Restaurant owners Joon Hoe Lee, Julian Lee and Alan Wing-Keung Au face up to $10,200 in fines per contravention and the company could be hit with penalties of up to $51,000 for each breach.

The Fair Work Ombudsman is seeking an in injunction restraining the owners from contravening workplace laws in the future.

Under the Restaurant Industry Award, the five adult workers should have been paid more than $22 for normal hours, while the junior casual staffer could claim more than $13 an hour.

A directions hearing is listed for February 5 in the Federal Circuit Court.

Fairfax Media has contacted Mamak for comment.