“Ramen restaurant operators in court”
The Fair Work Ombudsman has commenced legal action against the operators of multiple Japanese noodle eateries in Victoria.
Facing court are Shinya Geelong HR Pty Ltd and Shinya Torquay HR Pty Ltd, which between them are the operators of ‘Shinya Ramen and Bar Waurn Ponds’, ‘Shinya Ramen Geelong Waterfront’ and ‘Bayview Bar and Grill’, all in Geelong, and ‘Shinya Ramen and Bar’ in Torquay on Victoria’s Great Ocean Road. Also facing court is Mr Tao Mu, the sole director of both companies.
The regulator investigated after receiving requests for assistance from four employees, three who were visa holders from Vietnam and China, and one – an Australian citizen – who was 18 at the time. The employees were variously engaged as cooks and waitstaff, on a full-time or part-time basis – three in Geelong and one in Torquay – between November 2020 and July 2023.
A Fair Work Inspector issued Compliance Notices to Shinya Geelong HR and Shinya Torquay HR in August 2023 after forming a belief the companies between them failed to pay employees’ minimum wages for ordinary hours, weekend rates, and public holiday rates, and accrued but untaken annual leave when their employment ended…