1.7m in unpaid wages recovered

Data provided to Sinn Féin TD Imelda Munster shows that 250 breaches of employment law and abuse of workers’ rights were detected by the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) in Co. Louth, and 240 in Meath, in the past two years.

Deputy Munster said that this underlines the need for additional WRC investigators and improved workers’ rights legislation.

“Despite being underfunded and under-resourced, the WRCdoes fantastic work on behalf of workers across this state” Deputy Munster said.

“In spite of the challenges posed by the pandemic the WRC carried out 7,687 inspections in 2020 and managed to recover almost 1.7m in unpaid wages for workers.

“Indeed, data recently revealed to Sinn Féin outlined how, since 2011, the WRC has recovered almost 18m in withheld wages for workers.

“We have also obtained data which shows the scale and number of breaches of employment law detected by WRC investigations since 2015. In those six years, the WRC has detected breaches in employment law in more than one-third of all investigations.

“Of the number of cases investigated, 35.9% found breaches by employers for non-payment of the minimum wage, employment permits, protection of young persons, annual leave and public holiday breaches, unpaid wages, among others.

“Sectors such as food and drink, retail and wholesale, hair and beauty, and construction, to name but a few, have seen consistent breaches of employment law in recent years. The breadth, scale and nature...

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