Vic: Optometrist fined $88k in landmark OWS court action

AAP General News (Australia)
04-20-2007
Vic: Optometrist fined $88k in landmark OWS court action

The federal government's workplace watchdog has won a landmark case against one of
Australia's oldest optometrist businesses .. over unpaid award entitlements for workers.

Australian Ophthalmic Supplies .. trading as Merringtons .. was found to have denied
six current and former employees more than 17 thousand dollars in wages and entitlements
at a court hearing last year.

Yesterday Melbourne Magistrates' Court ordered the firm to pay 88 thousand dollars
in penalties .. the largest single case won by the Office of Workplace Services.

The company was found to have made 22 breaches of several industrial awards in what
the OWS said had been a long-running action.

Magistrate KATE HAWKINS said Merrigntons' industrial strategy was a deliberate attempt
to avoid their award obligations.

AAP RTV sjm/ce/bart

KEYWORD: MERRINGTONS (MELBOURNE)

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