This account of working in one of Melbourne’s most iconic restaurants, draws attention to the need for urgent action put an end to this practice, which is widespread in the hospitality industry. The owner of Chin Chin operates nine restaurants and is in the process of opening another one. Go to Megaphone link to sign the petition. The following was written by Sorcha Harrop, one of the central figures in this story.

For almost a year I worked at Chin Chin, one of Melbourne’s hottest restaurants. I worked through breaks, battled stress, exhaustion and was underpaid at least $9,500.

My experience is just one of thousands of disgusting wage theft stories hospo workers are forced to regularly endure.

I’ve had enough of being screwed over. That’s why I filmed this video calling on Malcolm Turnbull to take wage theft off the menu.

Chin Chin is famous for its no reservations policy, long queues down the street, fabulous food and outstanding service.

What you don’t know about Chin Chin is that the people who make it such a hot destination are forced to do 14-hour long days and work up to 20 hours a week for free. And here’s the kicker: while I was getting underpaid thousands of dollars, my boss, restaurant king Chris Lucas, was spending millions building his seventh restaurant.

This is textbook wage theft. And it’s happening to hospo workers everywhere: a new survey shows 76% of hospitality employers are stealing workers’ pay.

We are fed up, and enough is enough. If you’ve had enough of wage theft too, please watch and share this video.

Every year hundreds of thousands of hospo workers in Australia are robbed: paid below minimum wage, refused penalty rates, and forced to do free work.

We all know stealing is wrong. These rigged rules make wage theft so easy it’s now become a business model.

Stand with me and other hospo workers getting ripped off.

Hospo workers deserve respect just like everybody else – it’s time to stand up and demand we are treated fairly and paid what we’re owed.

Video from United Voice