I just got fired for asking to be paid properly!
I worked at BARRY, a popular Northcote café for about 8 months. I was paid $18 per hour, up to $6 below the award rate for weekdays, with no penalty rates for weekends or public holidays.
Most employees in the café are being underpaid, so on Friday myself and 8 other colleagues sent a letter to our boss asking for correct wages and back pay. By Friday evening my rostered shift was cancelled via text message, the same goes for one of my colleagues. Another worker worked on Saturday and was fired after her shift.
I'm owed up to $10,000. The owner claims that free meals and unlimited coffee make up for this.
We are angry and we’re fighting back.
Why is this important?
Hospo workers are too often exploited. We work without breaks, we're not treated with respect and our wages are stolen.
I stood up to my employer and was fired for exercising my rights!
Businesses like BARRY get away with this kind of behaviour too often. I'm calling on the Fair Work Ombudsman to conduct a full audit of BARRY and order repayment of wages to past and present staff.
Send a clear message that it's time to take wage theft off the menu.
