Living in fear and financial instability has become the horrifying reality for me and many of my colleagues at The Coconut Tree Restaurant. We Sri Lankan employees have not received our proper wages for months. Some among us have been left unpaid for 3-4 months. This job, which was supposed to be our lifeline, has spiraled into a source of severe mental health issues.

The owner, with brazen disregard for our rights, has consistently delayed or withheld pay, paying only whom he desires, whenever he decides. To exacerbate this injustice, we've had service charges deducted, merged deceitfully into our basic pay to impersonate compliance with the national minimum wage since April 2024. Our deserved tips have been unjustly withheld since November 2023.

This discrimination targets specifically the Sri Lankan staff; all non-Sri Lankan employees consistently receive their salaries by the 5th of every month. This blatant act of racial discrimination not only breaks our trust but threatens our livelihoods and our families. Families are on the brink of collapse due to financial strains, marriages are fraying, and yet, we face threats instead of support.

Several cases are now lodged with the Labour Tribunal, but we need your support to drive change while these processes unfold. The systemic misuse of power has continued far too long, and this pattern of abusive employer behaviour must be stopped.

I urge you to stand with us and pressure The Coconut Tree Restaurant to not just pay what is rightfully owed, but to commit to fair, timely, and equitable treatment of all their employees. Demand transparency, demand justice, and demand equality.

Sign this petition to support us in our fight for our livelihoods, our dignity, and our rights. We need your voice to end this injustice and ensure every worker is treated with the fairness and respect they deserve. Your signature can make a difference.

All this is underway while they slowly invest and open another restaurant called Arrack in London, located at 4 Brendon St, London W1H 5HE (https://www.arrack.com is registered under 2 different founders of the Coconut Tree, currently who are not on the company registration for the Coconut Tree Limited.