SYDNEY, Jan. 24 (Xinhua) -- A sushi food outlet operator and an accountant in Australia's New South Wales state have been told to pay penalties totaling almost 200,000 Australian dollars (160,282 U.S. dollars) for their involvement in an illegal internship program that exploited young foreign students on popular working holiday visas, according to a government workplace regulator.
A federal court ordered the manager and accountant for Kjoo company to pay the penalties after the three South Korean women were found to be underpaid - at "flat rates" of between 12 and 13.50 Australian dollars per hour in cash - at the outlet in a shopping mall south of the Wollongong coastal city between September 2014 and July 2015, the Fair Work Ombudsman government agency said in media release on Wednesday.
The women, aged 20 and 21, spoke little English and arrived in Australia on working holiday visas that allow young people to travel and work in the country for a limited period of time. The company had an "Internship Agreement" with the South Korean college where the victims were students, who were encouraged "to travel to Australia for work experience," the workplace regulator said.
The three women, who were altogether paid 51,025 Australian dollars less than what they were entitled to under applicable minimum wage rates, reported their case to the regulator, which launched an investigation that uncovered the illegal practices.
"Unlawful deductions were also made from the workers' wages for accommodation," it said.
There was a "deliberate, intentional and informed decision" by the perpetrators "to underpay the employees to gain a financial advantage for its business," the judge in the case was quoted as saying.
"My Agency has no tolerance for those who deliberately target the vulnerabilities of young workers, especially migrant workers, for their own financial gain," the workplace regulator's head Natalie James was quoted as saying.
Australia's working holiday visas are popular ways for foreign students to travel and work in the country, with many filling vacancies in the agricultural, services and other sectors.
