In a latest case of foreign students experiencing alleged workplace exploitation in Australia, an Indian student employed at a kebab shop here was not paid dues amounting to more than 50,000 dollars, court documents have claimed.
Osman Mohammed worked at Ali Baba Kebabs and Wraps at Southland Shopping Centre for 13 months until May 2009.
Documents lodged in the Federal Magistrates Court alleged that he was not paid at all for his first three months of work.
Mohammed was employed as a dependent on his wife's student visa and that allowed him to legally work only 20 hours a week.
It has been claimed that he worked up to 70 hours a week and was paid a flat rate of 290 dollars a week after his first three months.
His job involved working up to seven days a week as a cleaner, preparing food and serving customers.
According to the statement of claim, his total hours of work amounted to 4000 hours and was paid 13,340 dollars - an average hourly rate of 3.30 dollars.
He should have been paid more than 15 dollars an hour and the Ombudsman says once unpaid annual leave was factored in, the worker was owed an extra 53,090 dollars, according to media reports.