No excuse for not paying the minimum wage, says TUC
The government has today (Friday) released a list of employers who have failed to pay their employees the minimum wage.
The list includes Wagamama, TGI Fridays, and Marriott Hotels, with the most prolific offending sectors being retailers, hospitality businesses and hairdressers. Car washes are also high on the list where exploitation can be rife.
Commenting on this 14th round of naming and shaming, TUC South West Regional Secretary, Nigel Costley said:
“Yet again, we’re seeing many employers, including household names, failing to pay their staff properly. The minimum wage has been around for nearly 20 years – there’s absolutely no excuse for not paying it.
“Employers who cheat their staff out of the minimum wage deserve to be named and shamed. And they will rightly face hefty financial penalties.
“Minimum wage dodgers must have nowhere to hide.”
In the south west region, the list includes:
- Summer Lodge Country House Hotel Restaurant & Spa, West Dorset failed to pay £6,168.48 to 24 workers.
Part of Red Carnation Hotels who, in 2014 achieved 8th position on The Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For list.
- Smart Hand Car Wash Plymouth Ltd, Plymouth, failed to pay £4,817.09 to 2 workers
- Wright Leisure Limited, trading as Xercise4less is based in Leeds with a branch in Bristol, failed to pay a total £54,290.37 to 240 workers.
- Thursday (UK) Limited, trading as TGI Friday's and based in Luton, failed to pay £59,347.64 to 2,302 workers.
- Plymouth Car Wash Ltd, Plymouth PL4, failed to pay £4,122.92 to 3 workers.
- Home Life Carers Limited, Mid Devon EX16, failed to pay £3,675.32 to 31 workers.
- Manor House Hotel (Oakehampton) Limited, trading as The Manor House Hotel, West Devon EX20, failed to pay £1,776.33 to 31 workers.
- Clean as a Whistle Super Hand Car Wash Ltd, Plymouth PL5, failed to pay £1,706.26 to 2 workers.
- Days Poole Limited, trading as Day's Restaurant, Poole BH12, failed to pay £1,001.34 to 19 workers.
- Edworthy Computing Limited, Mid Devon EX17, failed to pay £548.45 to 1 worker.
- Neath Road Car Sales & Car Wash Ltd, Wiltshire SA1, failed to pay £348.69 to 5 workers.
- Tsang's Kitchen Ltd, Wiltshire SN10, failed to pay £221.1 to 1 worker.
- Mr Hamid Noori, trading as Valley Road Hand Car Wash, Plymouth PL7, failed to pay £153.3 to 1 worker.
- The full list and press release from DBEIS can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/nearly-200-employers-named-and-shamed-for-underpaying-thousands-of-minimum-wage-workers
- As well as recovering backpay for 9.200 workers, the Government also fined the employers a total of £1.3 million in penalties for breaking national minimum wage laws. The most prolific offending sectors in this round were retailers, hospitality businesses and hairdressers.
- It comes ahead of the next rate rise on 1 April, when the National Living Wage will go up from £7.50 to £7.83 per hour. Apprentices under the age of 19 and those in the first year of their apprenticeship will benefit from a record 5.7% rise.
National Living and Minimum Wage rates
|
Date |
25 and over |
21 to 24 |
18 to 20 |
Under 18 |
Apprentice |
|
April 2017 |
£7.50 |
£7.05 |
£5.60 |
£4.05 |
£3.50 |
|
April 2018 |
£7.83 |
£7.38 |
£5.90 |
£4.20 |
£3.70 |
The Trades Union Congress (TUC) exists to make the working world a better place for everyone.
We bring together more than 5.5 million working people who make up our 49 member unions. We support unions to grow and thrive, and we stand up for everyone who works for a living.
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