Sydney Roosters board taken to court for refusing termination pay after COVID shutdown

·

The Sydney Roosters board has been taken to court by Woy Woy Leagues Club, once a beloved location by the Eastern Suburbs club, for using the COVID-19 lockdown as an excuse for not paying staff who were made redundant.

The Easts Group had come to the Rooster’s rescue in 2012 when it entered into a joint venture as part of their support for rugby league on the Central Coast.

The Woy Woy Leagues Club on the Central Coast, part of the Easts Group, shut its doors permanently in April after COVID-19 restrictions left the League’s club in a struggling financial situation.

The Daily Telegraph reports that instead of paying the five Woy Woy staff termination pay of around $5000 each, the Eastern Suburbs Leagues Club claimed the three men and two women were ­legally not entitled to the money because they had been stood down without pay at the time. It was before JobKeeper payments kicked in.

The case is listed to be heard under the Fair Work Act in the Federal Circuit Court in Sydney tomorrow after negotiations broke down.

The staff, all of whom had worked for the club for over five years, are each still owed between $4702 and $5877, ­according to the statement of claim lodged with the court.

“Easts is a wealthy club, they are a top tier leagues club and they ought to be able to look after their workers when they put them out of work,” a source told the Daily Telegraph.

Documents lodged with the court by the United Workers Union claim the Eastern Suburbs Leagues Club breached the Fair Work Act.

Easts counts among its ­directors Roosters’ chairman Nick Politis, Wizard Home Loans founder Mark Bouris and Endemol Shine production company boss Mark Fennessy.

Advertisement

Share:

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH TGH

By subscribing you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Advertisement

Latest News

Dr Christos Theologos: ‘Dance keeps us bound to our roots, from Chios to Sydney’

As part of the Zeibekiko Festival Australia, respected folklorist Dr Christos Theologos will lead a series of lectures and workshops.

South Melbourne turns to supporters ahead of Australian Championship kick-off

The opening clash of the Australian Championship will be an event shaped by the voices of the fans themselves.

Low birth rates and ageing: The silent enemy of the Greek nation

From the late 1990s it had become clear to Greek demographers and social scientists that the number of births in Greece was falling.

Peta Trimis: The new star of Australian football with a Hellenic soul

At just 19 years old, Peta Trimis is already being hailed as one of the brightest young stars of Australian football.

A second chance at life: Angelo Alateras’ journey from mechanical heart to transplant hope

After years on life support, 80kgs lost, and 615 days of physio, Angelo finally received the gift of a new heart.

You May Also Like

Sold-out concert in Sydney pays tribute to victims of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus

A sold-out concert was held to commemorate 50 years of the Cyprus Invasion at The Cyprus Community Club of NSW in Stanmore on Sunday, June 30.

Construction workers unearth ancient Greek sculpture in downtown Athens

Α spectacular ancient Greek sculpture was unearthed in the downtown Agia Irini Square of Athens on Saturday during construction work.

How a British photographer dedicated his life’s work to the Cyclades

Mark Wilman grew up in London's Notting Hill area in the UK, to British parents with a Caribbean background. Starting from his childhood and...