Scottish football club named on list of firms underpaying staff

Dundee Football Club is among the latest round of Scottish firms named and shamed for failing to pay staff the minimum wage.

The club underpaid four players by a total of £2,134, according to figures released by the UK Government.

It was one of 26 organisations across Scotland which were found to have underpaid 302 staff by a total of £60,000.

The football club came seventh in the list, with the worst offender named as diving charter firm Orkney and Shetland Charters, which was found to have underpaid by more than £20,000, owing five workers £4,029 each.

Car repair firm TLC Car Care, based in Bonnyrigg, Midlothian, owed the second largest amount at £7,522 in total to 129 staff, followed by TC Carehome which runs Ardenlee Care Home in Dunoon, Argyll and Bute, and owed £6,087 overall to 39 workers.

The top five reasons nationally for underpaying wages were taking deductions from pay for costs such as uniforms, underpaying apprentices, failing to pay travel time, misusing the accommodation offset and using the wrong time periods for calculating pay.

Scotland Office Minister Lord Duncan said: "It beggars belief that some employers think they can get away with underpaying staff and tricking them out of the wage to which they are legally entitled.

"That's why we are naming shaming and fining these companies. We won't stop until every employee in Scotland is paid correctly and fairly for their labours.

"Retailers across the UK are working hard to raise pay across the industry. Indeed average pay is rising faster in retail than the UK average.''

Dundee FC said in a statement that four players were underpaid "due to administrative shortcomings in our payroll process''.

It added: "They were advised immediately about the situation and the arrears repaid in their next salary.

"The club is fully supportive of the legislation and has been advised that the actions that we took put us in full compliance. We are committed to ensuring that all of our staff are paid the appropriate rates.''

The three other firms declined to comment.

A Scottish Retail Consortium spokesman said: "Robust enforcement of the minimum wage regulations is welcomed by retailers where there is evidence of deliberate non-compliance but it is critical that employers are given the right tools and guidance to comply effectively.

"As more of the workforce are covered by minimum wage rates, retailers would like to see greater guidance for employers and additional industry specific awareness raising activities to prevent non-compliance.''

The UK Government said a campaign is ongoing to raise awareness of national minimum wage rates and HMRC has a series of online guides to help employers check they are complying with the law