lost in melb.
02-10-2021, 10:55 AM
The owner of the Adelaide shop that was the scene of a violent assault two weeks ago has broken his silence, saying he thinks he was “set up” but admitting to paying his workers $10 an hour.
The interview with the tea shop owner was conducted in Chinese by prominent YouTuber Edgar Lu – known as SydneyDaddy – and makes clear the owner is appearing on camera despite legal advice saying he should not.
In the opening minutes, the owner is asked a series of “yes or no” questions, including whether the two women who initially confronted him over alleged underpayments were actually paid a wage of $10 an hour.
“The young woman’s pay up to the day of the incident was indeed $10 an hour,” he says.
In another question, the man is asked if he could describe how he feels about the incident in two words he says he is “apologetic” and “regretful”.
Throughout the rest of the nine-minute interview, the owner goes on to express anger at what he describes as a “set up”, claiming he was ambushed and that the viral video was unfairly edited to make him look bad.
An earlier statement from the Working Women’s Centre, which is representing two women involved in the incident, said they will be pursuing claims against the owners of the FunTea shop for unpaid wages and a failure to provide a safe working environment on the night of the assault.
Their statement alleges that the owner of the FunTea shop “failed to provide a safe workplace for our clients”, and left it to others to check on the women’s welfare and call an ambulance in the aftermath.
The interview is the latest twist in a two-week saga in which the FunTea owners have been unresponsive to requests to speak to media, pulled down their website and attempted to distance themselves from the incident in a statement sticky-taped to the shopfront door.
In Australia, the Fair Work commission sets the minimum wage. As of 1 July 2020 the absolute minimum wage was $19.84, or $753.80 a week, though the exact minimums change depending on industry and how a worker is classified.
Both SafeWorkSA and the FairWork ombudsman have both opened investigations into apparent underpayments.
Throughout the rest of the nine-minute interview, the owner goes on to express anger at what he describes as a “set up”, claiming the viral video was unfairly edited.
The Guardian has made repeated attempts to contact the owners for comment.
https://amp.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/feb/10/south-australia-assault-owner-of-adelaide-tea-shop-admits-to-paying-worker-10-an-hour
The interview with the tea shop owner was conducted in Chinese by prominent YouTuber Edgar Lu – known as SydneyDaddy – and makes clear the owner is appearing on camera despite legal advice saying he should not.
In the opening minutes, the owner is asked a series of “yes or no” questions, including whether the two women who initially confronted him over alleged underpayments were actually paid a wage of $10 an hour.
“The young woman’s pay up to the day of the incident was indeed $10 an hour,” he says.
In another question, the man is asked if he could describe how he feels about the incident in two words he says he is “apologetic” and “regretful”.
Throughout the rest of the nine-minute interview, the owner goes on to express anger at what he describes as a “set up”, claiming he was ambushed and that the viral video was unfairly edited to make him look bad.
An earlier statement from the Working Women’s Centre, which is representing two women involved in the incident, said they will be pursuing claims against the owners of the FunTea shop for unpaid wages and a failure to provide a safe working environment on the night of the assault.
Their statement alleges that the owner of the FunTea shop “failed to provide a safe workplace for our clients”, and left it to others to check on the women’s welfare and call an ambulance in the aftermath.
The interview is the latest twist in a two-week saga in which the FunTea owners have been unresponsive to requests to speak to media, pulled down their website and attempted to distance themselves from the incident in a statement sticky-taped to the shopfront door.
In Australia, the Fair Work commission sets the minimum wage. As of 1 July 2020 the absolute minimum wage was $19.84, or $753.80 a week, though the exact minimums change depending on industry and how a worker is classified.
Both SafeWorkSA and the FairWork ombudsman have both opened investigations into apparent underpayments.
Throughout the rest of the nine-minute interview, the owner goes on to express anger at what he describes as a “set up”, claiming the viral video was unfairly edited.
The Guardian has made repeated attempts to contact the owners for comment.
https://amp.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/feb/10/south-australia-assault-owner-of-adelaide-tea-shop-admits-to-paying-worker-10-an-hour