Auckland liquor store worker allegedly paid $7 an hour

  • 12/10/2017

Protesters gathered outside an Auckland liquor store on Wednesday evening over claims a worker has been paid just $7 an hour for three years.

Manjinder Singh alleges he was underpaid $80,000 by the owners of the Bottle-O Liquor Store in Point Chevalier, including unpaid annual leave and sick pay.

Mr Singh says he worked up to 80 hours a week and was paid less than half the minimum wage.

"What he is saying is that what he has gone through, he doesn't want any other workers to go through the same things," the Migrant Workers Association's Sunny Sehgal told Newshub.

Store manager Kamel Deep flatly denied the claims and said Mr Singh is lying to get money.

He said all workers are paid at least the minimum wage.

"Everything is fine, you check with the IRD, everything is fine. [The accusations are] baseless,"he told Newshub.

Mr Singh has contacted the Labour Department and wants the money repaid.

Neither Mr Singh nor the store manager could provide solid proof showing hours worked and wages.

Newsub.