7-Eleven worker: I was paid less than $10 an hour
Article written by Aleks Devic in the Geelong Advertiser June 19th, 2009
A Geelong worker says he was forced to clean urine from a 7-Eleven store while being paid less than $10 an hour.
Mohamed Rashid was so desperate to get work he claims he underwent a two-month trial at the Moorabool St store without any pay.
He later juggled his architecture and construction studies at Deakin University while working up to 60 hours a week all while being paid below the minimum part-time wage of about $16.
The 26-year-old claimed he received $10 an hour, which was then taxed.
“I was doing everything to get the job and did things to please my boss because he was the only one who gave me a job,” he said.
“It got really hectic for me because I was trying to study and work five, six days a week, but I wanted to please my owner and get a pay rise.”
Mr Rashid said he endured some horror nights with customers while working at the city’s 7-Eleven store.
But he was shocked when a man who tried to steal started urinating inside the store after he approached the offender.
“He got into a fight with other customers in the store because what he was doing was wrong,” he said.
“He was doing a zig zag with his urine.”
Mr Rashid said some nights he had to pretend to be a security guard despite having no training in how to deal with problematic customers.
He said he applied for more than 40 jobs in several fields including retail and hospitality but did not get one offer.
Mr Rashid has since quit his post at the convenience store and is now driving taxis.
The Workplace Ombudsman is investigating the Moorabool St 7-Eleven store after receiving complaints that some bosses were underpaying staff.
A spokeswoman for 7-Eleven said it would inappropriate to comment during a probe.
See also: Young Geelong workers tell of exploitation and abuse http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2009/06/19/79261_news.html