Picasso to defend pay claims

Picasso to defend pay claimsAPRIL 2010

THE former owner of the now defunct Picasso Pizza and Pasta restaurant is under fire from the Fair Work Ombudsman for an alleged $15,322 underpayment of employees.

Fair Work Ombudsman Queensland director Julie Wade, says the decision to prosecute Erick Berges was made because the underpayments to two ‘low-paid and vulnerable’ employees were not rectified.

“Individual hand-shake agreements to pay workers below award rates are not legal,” she says.

It is alleged that a kitchen hand was underpaid $12,161 and a cook was underpaid $3,161 by the Albert Street restaurant

The case is listed for a mention on  April 14.