Four-star hotels among Yorkshire’s minimum wage offenders
Two hotels have made the list of minimum wage offenders released by the Government which also include charities, food manufacturers and schools in the region.
The government released the names of 360 companies which underpaid 15,520 workers a total of £995,233. It said the worst industries for minimum and living wage offenders were hospitality, hairdressing and retail. High street retailer Debenhams was even included on the list this year.
The first Yorkshire-based business listed was Hull’s Drivecheck, which failed to pay £24,363.36 to 6 workers.
Four star hotel The Feversham Arms near York failed to pay nearly £20,000 to 31 workers whilst Q Hotels, owners of The Queens Hotel in Leeds failed to pay just over £4,500 to one worker.
Others named include Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust, Heron Foods near Hull as well as Paradise Primary School in Dewsbury.
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.
“Minimum wage dodgers must have nowhere to hide. We need to see strong unions in every workplace to stop these abuses from happening.”
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.”
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 fact that an established household name like Debenhams is on the list is appalling. This is a major retailer with a large HR department – how could such non-payment be overlooked for so long?
“If top executives with mega pay packets weren’t getting their bonuses paid on time, all hell would break loose.”
