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Over €12m in unpaid wages recovered from employers

The Workplace Relations Commission has carried out over 29,000 inspections since 2017
Eoghan Murphy
Eoghan Murphy

00.15 10 Aug 2022


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Over €12m in unpaid wages reco...

Over €12m in unpaid wages recovered from employers

Eoghan Murphy
Eoghan Murphy

00.15 10 Aug 2022


Share this article


A State watchdog has recovered more than €12m in unpaid wages from employers over the past five and a half years.

It comes after investigations by the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC).

The WRC works on behalf of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.

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Since 2017, it has carried out over 29,000 inspections of workplaces.

They check if businesses are compliant with their statutory obligations, and arrange for any outstanding money to be given to workers.

Over the past five and a half years, they have recovered over €12m in unpaid wages.

Sinn Féin's workers' rights spokesperson, Louise O'Reilly, explains why.

"Some of it is because money has been withheld by employers because they haven't been paid the correct rate for the job, or because they haven't been paid the correct rate for overtime, or they haven't been paid enough money.

"These are the cases that have resulted where challenges have been taken, or where investigations have taken place".

One-fifth of the money recovered since 2017 has been from the wholesale and retail sector, at €2.4m.

Other areas with large amounts of unpaid wages include the food and drink sector, agriculture, hotels and construction.

In total, the WRC has identified 1,437 breaches of the national minimum wage over the past five and a half years.

Main image: A view of a pay slip in December 2009. Picture by: PA Images/Alamy Stock Photo/Niall Carson

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Agriculture Department Of Enterprise Employers Food And Drink Hotels Louise O'Reilly Trade And Employment Unpaid Wages WRC Wholesale And Retail Sector Workplace Relations Commission

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