KEY POINTS:
A tailor who employed a machinist on a rate lower than the minimum wage then did not pay her for five months has been ordered to reimburse her more than $13,000.
The Employment Relations Authority found Ramesh Lal, trading as Glomax Super Tailors, liable to pay Padmini Raju outstanding wages and holiday pay.
Ms Raju worked as a machinist - in breach of her work permit - for Mr Lal from June 23 to November 28, 2006.
She was not paid during this time.
In November 2007, she complained to the Labour Department alleging Mr Lal had failed to pay her.
A labour inspector found Ms Raju was entitled to be paid. The inspector applied to the ERA for payment of all hours worked, annual holiday pay, interest on the amount sought, penalties for non-compliance, penalties for the non-production of wage and time records, and costs.
Mr Lal denied he employed Ms Raju for the five months, saying he employed her for only two weeks.
The ERA found that on the balance of probabilities, Ms Raju had worked for Mr Lal.
It ordered Mr Lal to pay for all hours worked at $10.25 per hour after finding that Ms Raju had been employed on an hourly rate of $10 per hour - 25c below the minimum wage at the time.
It also ordered him to pay interest on the outstanding wages and holiday pay at the rate of 6 per cent.
- NZPA
