Aus biz operator fined $30k for not paying Indian worker
Darpan News Desk IANS, 13 Dec, 2022 03:49 PM
Melbourne, Dec 13 (IANS) A vehicle repair business operator in Australia has been fined AU$30,000 for not paying back-pay entitlements to a worker from India, the court said.
The Federal Circuit and Family Court imposed the penalty against Bhangu Pty Ltd., which operates a business trading as Rehaan Automotive Care, based in Archerfield, a suburb in the city of Brisbane.
The penalty was imposed last week in response to Bhangu Pty Ltd. failing to comply with a compliance notice by Australian regulatory authority Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO).
The FWO notice required the company to calculate and back-pay entitlements to a visa-holder worker from India, who was employed as a full-time motor mechanic between February 2017 and February 2018.
Fair Work Ombudsman Sandra Parker said in a statement that business operators that fail to act on compliance notices need to be aware they can face penalties in court on top of having to back-pay workers.
"When compliance notices are not followed, we are prepared to take legal action to ensure workers receive their lawful entitlements," Parker added.
"Employers should also be aware that taking action to protect vulnerable employees, such as migrant workers, is a priority for the agency. Any employees with concerns about their pay or entitlements should contact us for free advice and assistance," she said in an FWO statement.
The FWO investigated after receiving a request for assistance from the Indian worker and issued compliance notice to Bhangu Pty Ltd. in September 2021.
It found that the worker had been underpaid minimum wages and annual leave entitlements, owed under the Vehicle Manufacturing, Repair, Services and Retail Award and the Fair Work Act's National Employment Standards.
Thereafter, it secured a $30,000 penalty in court against the operator of the vehicle repair and maintenance business in Brisbane.
The court has also ordered the company to take the steps required by the FWO compliance notice, which includes back-paying the worker in full, plus superannuation and interest.
The announcement came shortly after President Vladimir Putin authorised a "special military operation" in the conflict-hit Donbas region in eastern Ukraine. Flights to Kiev, Dnepr, Lvov and Odessa airports "are restricted due to potential hazard for civil aviation
The United Nations refugee agency said on Thursday that the situation was quickly deteriorating after Russia's invasion. It appealed to neighbouring countries to keep their borders open to people seeking a safe haven.
There are an estimated 25,000 Indian students in Ukraine alone who are pursuing medicine, engineering, and science courses. More than 2,500 students from Tamil Nadu are estimated to be studying in Ukraine.
The Foreign Secretary stated that External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has spoken to his Polish, Romanian, Hungarian, and Slovakian counterparts for setting up a camp at border areas for evacuation of stranded Indian nationals. He also stated that flight options are available through Dubai and Istanbul and that the Indian Embassy continues to be operational in Ukraine.
The Ministry of External Affairs in touch with all the neighbouring countries surrounding Ukraine to even evacuate Indian citizens. Many citizens who were to fly back to India were left at the airport after closure of Ukrainian airspace following Russia's Vladimir Putin announcement of a military operation in Ukraine.
Amidst the prevailing tension, the Indian students stranded in Ukraine are left with no choice but to queue up outside the Indian Embassy in Kiev seeking the authorities' help as they ran out of food and money. The Russian military actions in Ukraine have triggered panic among all sections, including students from India.
