Plushbear Pty Ltd and Goldream Pty Ltd placed in liquidation despite outstanding court case
Two companies who were taken to court earlier this year over alleged underpayments of staff at two inner city cafes have been liquidated. SEARCH OUR FULL LIST OF VICTORIAN BUSINESS INSOLVENCIES.
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Two companies that operated cafes in Melbourne’s inner east, and are in a court battle over alleged staff underpayments, have been wound up.
Plushbear Pty Ltd and Goldream Pty Ltd were placed into liquidation on July 16, with BRI Ferrier’s David Coyne appointed as liquidator.
The companies operated two cafes — Prahran’s Tall Timber and Richmond’s Friends Of Mine — while Hawthorn cafe BAWA is listed as a sister venue on Tall Timber’s website.
In March, the Fair Work Ombudsman took both companies and its common director Barry Gold to the Federal Circuit Court after they allegedly underpaid staff.
The Fair Work Ombudsman claimed the companies failed to backpay employees for hours worked from December 2017 to June 2018.
Its inspectors discovered the alleged underpayments during an 2018 audit and found both cafes employed staff on student and working holiday visas.
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Mr Coyne said Plushbear and Goldream had not traded for “18 months to two years” and was unsure of each cafes’ owners.
He said the companies’ liquidation was “part of tying up the corporate structure” and confirmed Mr Gold was a director of both companies at the time of his appointment.
Mr Coyne said he was in the early stages of his investigations and wasn’t aware of any other operations which the companies had.
In its court case, which began on April 16, the Fair Work Ombudsman sought penalties of up to $31,500 each for Goldream and Plushbear, with Mr Gold also facing a maximum penalty of $6,300 in both proceedings.
Federal Circuit Court spokeswoman Denise Healy said Judge Anthony Kelly would revisit the case in a further directions hearing on September 21.
The owners of Tall Timber have been contacted for comment.
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