NI firms 'named and shamed' for underpaying workers

The Government has named and shamed 17 local business for underpaying workers.

They are part of a list of 360 businesses who have short-changed employees to a total of almost £1 million.

The biggest ever list of offenders included employers in hairdressing, retail, hospitality and care homes.

Excuses for underpaying workers included using tips to top up pay, docking wages to pay for Christmas parties, and making staff pay for their own uniforms.

Retail giant Debenhams was accused of failing to pay almost £135,000 to just under 12,000 workers. The company said it made a technical error in its payroll calculations, which resulted in an average underpayment of around £10 per person to affected workers in 2015.

The Business Department said more than 1,500 cases are being worked on by HM Revenue and Customs, with more firms set to be named.

Business minister Margot James said: Every worker in the UK is entitled to at least the national minimum or living wage and this government will ensure they get it.

That is why we have named and shamed more than 350 employers who failed to pay the legal minimum, sending the clear message to employers that minimum wage abuses will not go unpunished.''

Unions welcomed the announcement, but called for more prosecutions - there have been 13 since 2007.

TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady said: This should be a wake-up call for employers who value their reputation. If you cheat your staff out of the minimum wage you will be named and shamed.

But we also need to see prosecutions and higher fines for the most serious offenders, especially those who deliberately flout the law.''

Unison general secretary Dave Prentis said: This list fails to shame the larger care firms who are equally guilty of denying staff a fair wage. Those in the spotlight today are just the tip of the iceberg.

HM Revenue & Customs needs to get much tougher with more inspections to identify scrooge employers.''

Unite assistant general secretary Steve Turner said: The Government needs to crack down further on employers who failed to pay the national minimum wage to some of the most low-paid and vulnerable workers in the country.

The fact that the Government has mounted only 13 prosecutions for non-compliance since 2007 is pathetic.

In America, bad bosses are jailed and heavily fined for 'wage theft' which is what this is, exploiting workers in such a shameful fashion.''

The local firms 'named and shamed' by HMRC are:

• WH Recruitment Ltd, Portadown BT62, failed to pay £26,418.67 to 143 workers.
• Mr Sean Bennett trading as Bennetts Seafood Bar & Grill, WarrenpointBT34, failed to pay £7,300.15 to 25 workers.
• Boran-Mopack Limited, Strabane BT82, failed to pay £6,779.05 to 1 worker.
• Mrs Margaret Danks trading as Shine Hair Company, Belfast BT8, failed to pay £5,811.95 to 1 worker.
• Fusion Heating Limited, Belfast BT23, failed to pay £4,353.69 to 2 workers.
• Rumour Expresso Bar Ltd, Armagh BT61, failed to pay £1,779.85 to 5 workers.
• Muldoon Transport Systems Limited, Dungannon BT71, failed to pay £1,468.25 to 7 workers.
• Mrs Charmaine V Doherty trading as Causeway Coach Hire, Ballymoney BT53, failed to pay £1,307.50 to 10 workers.
• Sammy Mellon and Sons Limited, Bangor BT20, failed to pay £1,236.00 to 1 worker.
• Plant Limited, Hillsborough, failed to pay £1,180.63 to five workers
• Villa Scalini Ltd trading as Villa Italia, Belfast BT7, failed to pay £928.41 to 1 worker.
• Sohan S Kular Ltd trading as Custom House Restaurant, Londonderry BT48, failed to pay
• £365.16 to 9 workers.
• Mr Mark & Mrs Lynne McDowell trading as McDowell's Butchers, Carrickfergus BT38, failed to pay £359.49 to 3 workers.
• McHenry's Central Bar Ltd, Ballycastle BT54, failed to pay £330.24 to 1 worker.
• Curran Court Hotel Limited (Previous Owners), Larne, failed to pay £282.88 to three workers
• Creativ3 Merchandise Ltd, Carrickfergus BT38, failed to pay £268.18 to 1 worker.
• McGrady Limited, Downpatrick BT30, failed to pay £113.33 to 1 worker.

• Wages
• businesses
• HMRC
• northern ireland