MELBOURNE BURGER JOINT FACES COURT

FAIR Work is taking legal action against a Melbourne burger bar for exploiting a number of young and overseas workers.

Todd Patrick Buzza and his company Rum Runner Trading are facing court for failing to back-pay seven former employees.

Buzza operates Burger Buzz on Sydney Road, Brunswick and formerly operated a Burger Buzz outlet on Peel Street, West Melbourne.

The staff were short-changed $7113 for work performed between January and April last year.

Buzza faces maximum penalties ranging from $5400 to $10,800 per contravention and his company faces penalties of up to $27,000 to $54,000 per contravention.

Underpaid workers were from France, the US, Britain and the Netherlands, in Australia on working holiday visas at the time, and another three were Australian.

They were allegedly underpaid for short periods of work - between five days and two weeks - across the two Burger Buzz outlets.

Three of the workers were allegedly paid nothing for work performed, while four were allegedly paid only a fraction of their lawful entitlements.

The Fair Work Ombudsman investigated after workers lodged requests for assistance.

Buzza and his company breached workplace laws by failing to comply with seven Compliance Notices requesting they back-pay the seven workers amounts ranging from $452 to $1522.

He also failed to comply with three Notices to Produce employment records, and breached laws relating to pay-slips and providing new employees with a copy of the Fair Work Information Statement.

A directions hearing is scheduled for the Federal Circuit Court in Melbourne on July 19.