Ms THEOPHANOUS (Northcote): The Northcote electorate is home to a vibrant and diverse cafe, restaurant and bar scene, from the multicultural cafes of Preston and Thornbury to the quirky eateries of Northcote, Westgarth and Fairfield. Northcote is clearly the place to be if you are a foodie like me. But this just would not be possible without the baristas, waiters, bartenders, chefs, cleaners and dishies who are the backbone of our hospitality industry. Indeed on census night over 1000 locals said they worked in a cafe or restaurant, making this the third-highest sector of employment for the electorate. These workers put in the hours day and night to make Northcote buzz, and every single one of them deserves to be paid properly. Recently the member for Ringwood and I joined with unions Hospo Voice and United Voice to host a forum in Northcote for local workers impacted by wage theft. What I heard were not stories of administrative errors on pay cheques. What I heard were stories of deliberate underpayment, exploitation and mistreatment. I heard of the flagrant disregard for employment law and wage standards. I heard of workers who feel powerless to speak out, fearing retribution. I heard of the emotional and psychological toll this takes, how wage theft degrades our sense of self-worth and view of work itself. I want to thank all those who shared their experiences and raised their voices. I want to thank Boris, who runs All are Welcome bakery in High Street, for showing how it is done when it comes to paying your workers properly. His own experience of wage theft has driven him to try to change the culture in the hospitality industry. Your voices are exactly why we are drafting new laws that mean bosses doing the wrong thing will face serious fines or even jail time.
