NINE firms in Northern Ireland have been"named and shamed" by the government for breaking the minimum wage law.
More than £55,200 was found to be owed to 534 workers locally following investigations by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs dating back as far as 2017.
The Northern Ireland companies who failed to pay their staff the correct wages are:
• Victor Foster Poultry Services, Markethill - failed to pay £33,045 to 284 workers.
• Avondale Foods (Craigavon) - failed to pay £9,007 to 149 workers.
• Hatch Brothers, trading as Genesis Crafty (now under new ownership), Magherafelt - failed to pay £4,439 to 7 workers.
• Reahs Restaurant, trading as The Portmor, Blackwatertown - failed to pay £3,292 to 8 workers.
• O'Connor's Bar and Restaurant, Dromore, Omagh - failed to pay £2,413 to 1 worker.
• WGAB Limited, trading as Excel Clothing, Newtownards -failed to pay £2,369 to 18 workers.
• Curran Court Hotel, Larne - failed to pay £2,003 to 63 workers.
• 727 Your Store, Craigavon - failed to pay £580 to 1 worker.
• Edenmore Golf & Country Club, Magheralin - failed to pay £506 to 11 workers.
In total, 202 employers across the UK ordered to repay workers and face penalties of nearly £7 million after breaches left 63,000 workers out of pocket.
High street retailer WH Smith was the worst offender, according to HMRC, with the new figures claiming it failed to pay around £1 million to 17,607 workers.
The retailer blamed this on an error related to its company uniform policy.
Others on the list included retail giants Marks & Spencer and Argos.
Minister for Enterprise, Markets and Small Business Kevin Hollinrake said: “Paying the legal minimum wage is non-negotiable and all businesses, whatever their size, should know better than to short-change hard-working staff.
"Most businesses do the right thing and look after their employees, but we're sending a clear message to the minority who ignore the law: pay your staff properly or you'll face the consequences."
The employers named on the list previously underpaid workers in the following ways:
• 39 per cent of employers deducted pay from workers’ wages.
• 39 per cent of employers failed to pay workers correctly for their working time.
• 21 per cent of employers paid the incorrect apprenticeship rate.
Bryan Sanderson, chair of the Low Pay Commission, said: “The minimum wage acts as a guarantee to ensure all workers without exception receive a decent minimum standard of pay. Where employers break the law, they not only do a disservice to their staff but also undermine fair competition between businesses.
“Regular naming rounds should be a useful tool in raising awareness of underpayment and helping to protect minimum wage workers.”
The government has been clear that anyone entitled to be paid the minimum wage should receive it, and that robust enforcement action will be taken against employers who do not pay their staff correctly.
Since 2015, the budget for minimum wage enforcement has doubled with the government having ordered employers to repay over £100 million to 1 million workers.
