Ziba Beauty Center Lawsuits, Labor Practices and Public Information

Sumita Batra shamefully appointed president of TiE

2008-12-04T11:40:00.000-08:00

Sumita Batra has been appointed president of TiE (The Indus Entrepreneurs) Los Angeles chapter. Why would an organization put her in charge of it? After all the stuff she has done personally to individuals in her field?

Here's a quote from India Journal " I wish to pursue a modern, scientific and forward looking approach devoid of pettiness, divisiveness and corruption and most of all I want TiE to be an idea and value-driven organization,”

She might of been looking in the mirror crying when she said this. It reads like something she said with a therapist. With her track record is it any wonder that she is saying these things?

Link to article at India Journal.

http://www.indiajournal.com/pages/event.php?id=5192

Sumita Batra laughable Person of the Week for India Journal

Ziba Beauty Center Hires Navneet S. Chugh to defend them

2008-06-30T16:43:00.000-07:00

Chugh sounds like a real winner to me. Ziba tried to enforce lousy contracts and now they have a lawyer who loses trying to do the same thing.

"In a high-profile case in San Mateo County, Calif., Superior Court on April 18, a judge ruled against Chugh and his recruitment firm client, Compubahn. His client must pay $215,050.61 in legal fees and other expenses to an Indian computer programmer who signed a restrictive work contract that forbade him from joining the agency's clients. "

Sounds like business as usual for Ziba Beauty Center and Sumita Batra.

LINK TO ARTICLE

L.A. Times Reports: Ziba Beuaty Center Exploits Workers

2008-06-23T19:53:00.000-07:00

Ziba Beauty Center has made the headlines of the Los Angeles Times.

The class action says Ziba employees, many immigrant women, were paid less than minimum wage and forced to work long hours with no breaks.
By Teresa Watanabe, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
June 23, 2008

"The plaintiffs include Payal Modi of India and Bishnu Shahani from Nepal, who say they were paid as little as $4 an hour at the salon, denied rest breaks and required to deliver hours of free henna tattooing services at parties."

Link to Article

South Asian Network Scores a victory for former Ziba Beauty Center employee's

2008-05-14T14:17:00.001-07:00

From http://www.southasiannetwork.org/Alerts.htm

BIG VICTORY for ZibA Workers!!!
BEAUTY CENTER ADMITS THAT THE “ARTS OF THREADING” AND “HENNA APPLICATION” ARE NOT TRADE SECRETS & “NON COMPETE” CLAUSES WILL NOT BE ENFORCED

“Ziba 5”, L to R: Bishnu, Payal, Jyoti, Indira & Uma

On February 25, 2008 Ziba Beauty Center workers claimed a huge victory when the center’s representative stated that Ziba will not enforce harsh non-compete provisions in its 2005 and 2008 employee contracts. Furthermore, Ziba Beauty Center acknowledged that the arts of applying Henna and Threading are NOT propriety trade secrets. Ziba admits that these arts are cultural traditions that have existed in our communities for hundreds of years – LONG before Ziba existed.

In January 2008, five courageous Ziba workers were fired for refusing to sign an employment contract that contained unacceptable non-compete and trade secret provisions. On January 15th, 2008 the “Ziba 5”, South Asian Network (SAN) and the community protested in front of Ziba Beauty Center demanding an end to severe harassment by Ziba management and bad working conditions. Among their top demands was the elimination of contract provisions that attempted to stop them from working at other salons or opening their own business after leaving Ziba. With the help of Deborah Drooz Esq., Attorney at Law with the law firm of Stroock & Stroock & Lavan, workers who leave Ziba have the right to work for others or in their own Henna and Threading businesses.

ZIBA is one of Los Angeles’s largest corporate beauty salons which specializes in mehndi (henna) and threading.

After 2 months of challenging Ziba’s de-humanizing practices, Ziba Beauty Center has agreed to the following:

o Ziba will completely throw out its 2008 contract.
o Ziba agrees it has no “propriety trade secrets” in the traditional arts of threading and henna.
o Workers are free to use their threading and henna skills anywhere.
o Former Ziba workers can work for any competitor and/or open up their own salon anywhere.
o The “Ziba 5” can file for unemployment without Ziba challenging their applications.
o Ziba will stop all involuntary transfers once a worker has been with Ziba for 1 year.
o Ziba will not retaliate against workers who are organizing and standing up for their rights.

“Ziba 5”,
FREE FROM SHACKLES!
Of the 5 women,
4 open “WOW Beauty Center”
in Culver City, California

After weeks of intense battle with the management of Ziba Beauty Center and determined to exercise their rights to work freely anywhere, four of the five women, Bishnu Shahani, Payal Modi, Uma Thapa and Indira Carreon worked together to open their own beauty salon, “WOW Beauty Center” located at 10836 Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, 90232.

Wow Beauty Center opened its doors to the public officially on Tuesday, April 1st, 2008. All four women provide facials, threading, waxing, body massage and other services for their customers. To visit their salon and support their work, call Wow Beauty Center directly at 310-559-1900.

When asked about their victories, Uma enthusiastically states that “it is a victory for everyone, for all workers at Ziba. This shows us, when we stand together, we can do anything. It is a lesson for the owners that when workers come together and fight for their rights, they will win!” Jyoti Parmar, who decided to work in another beauty center remarks that she is very happy because “we are finally free to work anywhere we want to!”

South Asian Network asks the community to support these women in their fight to be self determined and work under conditions that promote dignity and respect for all workers. To find out more information about SAN’s work with worker rights issues and the “Ziba 5”, contact us at 562-403-0488 or visit our office at 18173 South Pioneer Blvd., Suite I, Artesia, CA 90701.

Ziba Beauty Center Workers claim victory over management; Sumita Batra

2008-04-24T11:03:00.000-07:00

The people over at www.IndiaPost.com have an update on the Unfair Labor Practices post we made a few weeks back.

"Ziba Beauty Center has also acknowledged that the arts of applying Henna and threading are not proprietary trade secrets. Ziba admitted that these arts are cultural traditions that have existed in the Indian communities for hundreds of years, long before Ziba existed."

More from India Post HERE

Ziba Beauty Centers get a D Rating from the Better Business Bureau

2008-03-27T11:05:00.000-07:00

Ziba Beauty Center run by Sumita Batra has a D rating from the Better Business Bureau.

Here's a description of the rating given to Ziba Beauty Centers:

D	We have enough concerns about this company (for example, their offer, customer complaints, advertising, etc.) that we recommend caution in doing business with it.

This brings to question what happened to deserve this rating?

Link

Ziba Beauty Center and Sumita Batra Sue former Ziba Girl and former Employee

2008-03-27T11:03:00.000-07:00

Ziba Beauty Center Vs. Coture Bridal Services

Ziba Beauty Center seems to not like fair competition. From the looks of the Daxa Vaza case this is almost a cut and paste of the same lawsuit.

Except in this case they are suing their OWN ZIBA GIRL 2004 for the some of the same things.

Ziba Beauty Center Vs. Coture Bridal Services

Ziba Beauty Center Sues Former Employee Because She Worked for Another Beauty Salon

2008-03-27T11:02:00.000-07:00

Ziba Beauty Center Inc. Vs. Daxa Vaza

Ziba Beauty Center run by Sumita Batra didn't like that a former employee decided to get a job somewhere else. What did Ziba do? They SUED the former employee and made all kinds of allegations such as:

Breach of Contract (Getting a Job)

Unfair Competitoin (Getting a job)

Misappropriation of Trade Secrets (The Art of Threading? Mendi?)

Unjust Enrichment (Claims that ex-emploee had customer cards and old customer info)

Here's the Link

Ziba Beauty Center Inc. Vs. Daxa Vaza

Ziba Controversy being discussed on Jay Dabhi's Forum

2008-03-27T11:00:00.000-07:00

People over at Jah Dabhi's website seem to be interested in the cases involving Ziba Beauty Center.

Except for Sandeep Kumar; He must work with them frequently.

Source

Unfair Labor Practices Cause Employees to Walk Out on Ziba Beauty Center and Sumita Batra

2008-03-27T10:59:00.000-07:00

This is taken from another site who exposed Ziba Beauty Center's actions.

On January 15, 2008 fired workers from ZIBA Beauty Center and the community protested on Pioneer Blvd. in front of one of ZIBA’s 11 stores. The protest came after several attempts to change the harsh contract which was being forced on its workers and after severe harassment by ZIBA’s management. ZIBA is one of Los Angeles’s largest corporate beauty salons which specializes in mehndi (henna) and eyebrow threading and has been engaging in unfair labor practices against its workers. The new contract which workers were being manipulated and forced into signing, would have decreased workers’ commission percentage as well as moved them down the pay scale, despite the fact that ZIBA has increased the prices on its services, thus increasing its profit. ZIBA also has threatened its employees with lawsuits if they try to work for another employer and has refused to provide sick pay or any vacation pay to its employees.

Ziba Beauty Center is being sued by former Manager

2008-03-27T10:57:00.000-07:00

Valerie Gant Vs. Ziba Beauty Center

Ziba Beauty Center is being sued by a former manager for a variety of things including:
Discrimination $ Harassment Based on Religion
Wrongful Termination
Failure to Pay Wages
Unlawful Sexual Harassment
Here's the Link to the Lawsuit

Valerie Gant Vs. Ziba Beauty Center