Business

Two northern firms on minimum wage 'name and shame' list

Two firms in the north failed to pay their staff the minimum wage
Two firms in the north failed to pay their staff the minimum wage Two firms in the north failed to pay their staff the minimum wage

TWO firms in the north are included on a UK-wide "name and shame" list after they failed to pay their staff the national minimum wage.

The Metro Surveillance Group in Cookstown refused to pay £1,059 to one of its workers, according to a list published yesterday by the British government.

And Lawrence Huddleson (41) of Huddleson Enterprises Ltd, which trades as the Lock Keeper’s Inn in Belfast, neglected to pay £132.35 to seven workers.

The 115 employers named yesterday owed workers more than £389,000 in arrears and span sectors including hairdressing, retail, education, catering and social care.

Since the scheme was introduced two years ago, 400 employers have been named and shamed, with total arrears of £1,181,000 and penalties of over £513,000.

British business minister Nick Boles said: "Employers who fail to pay the minimum wage hurt the living standards of the lowest paid and their families."

Earlier this month the national minimum wage (NMW) rose to £6.70.

But TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady claims the list of offenders is "just the tip of the iceberg", with only a quarter of offenders being caught.

"Many more employers are getting away with illegal underpayment," she said.

“I am particularly saddened to see Monsoon Accessorize acting in breach of the law. A large firm with thousands of employees has no excuse for not having proper systems in place to ensure staff get their legal wages."

Monsoon Accessorize neglected to pay £104,507 to 1438 workers, according to the list.