Al Bustan settles out of court
A LEBANESE restaurant in London has made an out-of-court settlement with a former employee who claimed he was sacked after a row about tips.
Al Bustan in London's Belgravia paid £750 to Jamal El Manouzi, a former waiter, as settlement of his claims over his dismissal last June (Caterer, 14 August, page 6).
El Manouzi, who described his settlement as "rubbish", claimed that he took a day off to look after his wife, who was unwell. He returned the following day, but said that a row broke out when he found his share of tips had been cut.
"I am not satisfied. I worked hard for nearly eight years, but I was told that I could have lost the case," El Manouzi said.
Restaurant owner Riyad Atalla accused the waiter of failing to turn up for work because he had been drinking, an allegation denied by El Manouzi.
Atalla said: "He was a good worker but toward the end he had so many problems and he brought them to work. He would have lost the case but it would have cost me more in legal fees and inconvenience."
