{"id":143023,"date":"2025-05-30T02:58:14","date_gmt":"2025-05-30T02:58:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/143023\/"},"modified":"2025-05-30T02:58:14","modified_gmt":"2025-05-30T02:58:14","slug":"nearly-30-ni-firms-including-well-known-pub-owner-failed-to-pay-minimum-wage-to-workers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/143023\/","title":{"rendered":"Nearly 30 NI firms including well-known pub owner \u2018failed to pay minimum wage to workers\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) released a list of 518 employers in the UK that underpaid workers over several years, including 28 people or businesses here.<\/p>\n

In total, around 1,650 workers in Northern Ireland were underpaid almost \u00a3160,000.<\/p>\n

It means pay for some staff fell short of the national minimum wage, or the national living wage, which is what the Government calls the minimum wage for those aged over 21.<\/p>\n

The Northern Ireland company with the highest bill was Property Management Services, which has a registered office address in Annagh Drive, Craigavon. <\/p>\n

DBT said the company had underpaid 414 staff to the tune of \u00a354,852.44.<\/p>\n

It is one of the Belfast-based Golf Holdings group of companies, which spans pubs, off-licences and retail.<\/p>\n

Four other Golf Holdings limited companies with registered offices in Belfast are also identified in the list. In total, its firms had underpaid workers around \u00a3116,300.<\/p>\n

Golf Holdings company Regency Hotel (Northern Ireland) failed to pay \u00a319,952.21 to 201 workers, while Winemark the Winemerchants failed to pay \u00a315,738.33 to 186 workers.<\/p>\n

Philip Russell failed to pay \u00a310,507.58 to 111 workers, while Wine Inns failed to pay \u00a39,295.35 to 103 workers.<\/p>\n

Wine Inns is the owner of pubs and clubs around Belfast including Alibi, The Empire, Cutters and the Four Winds.<\/p>\n

\"Wine<\/p>\n

Wine Inns and four other companies in the Golf Holdings group had \u2018failed to pay minimum wage to workers,\u2019 according to the UK Government (Alamy\/PA)<\/p>\n

Golf Holdings has been contacted for comment regarding the non-payment of the minimum wage by its subsidiaries.<\/p>\n

Sean Elliott, a director of Elliott\u2019s Garage in Ballymena, failed to pay \u00a317,518.00 to one worker, according to the government. The business has been contacted for comment.<\/p>\n

Whistledown Inn in Warrenpoint failed to pay \u00a32,154.29 to 46 workers, the government announcement said. It has been contacted for comment.<\/p>\n

There are five nurseries on the list, with Building Blocks Day Nursery (NI) in Toome recorded as having failed to pay the highest amount, at \u00a35,576.45, due to 45 workers. <\/p>\n

\"Five<\/p>\n

Five nurseries in NI were identified for failing to pay minimum wage to staff<\/p>\n

Owner Kate McFerran told the Belfast Telegraph: \u201cWe didn\u2019t realise that we should have been paying for their (staff) uniforms. <\/p>\n

“This has all been rectified. It was an oversight for us, and even our accountant didn\u2019t know.<\/p>\n

“Everyone has now been back-paid.\u201d<\/p>\n

Restaurant the Sooty Olive in Londonderry, which has now closed, failed to pay \u00a3819.24 to 33 workers.<\/p>\n

UK-wide, Pizza Express, Lidl, British Airways, and outsourcing firm Capita were among the big businesses named by the Government.<\/p>\n

In total, nearly 60,000 people UK-wide had been left out of pocket, the DBT said.<\/p>\n

Capita, one of the Government\u2019s biggest suppliers with major public sector contacts, was top of the list, owing \u00a31.15m to 5,543 workers.<\/p>\n

This meant individual employees were underpaid about \u00a3208 on average.<\/p>\n

A spokesman for Capita said it was \u201cinadvertent underpayments\u201d between 2015 and 2021, due to issues including adding 25 minutes per week for call centre staff to log in for their shifts.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll owed monies were paid immediately, and we are sorry for any impact this had on colleagues and former colleagues at that time,\u201d the company added.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur processes and systems were updated to ensure there would be no further issues; we have continued to monitor them carefully, as well as any changes to employment regulations.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pizza Express failed to pay \u00a3760,702 to 8,470 workers \u2013 amounting to about \u00a390 on average.<\/p>\n

A spokeswoman for Pizza Express said: \u201cOnce we were made aware of this historic unintentional technicality, which occurred between 2012 and 2018, we swiftly identified who was impacted, apologised and rectified.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s nothing more important to us than fairly and accurately paying our team members.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Nearly<\/p>\n

Nearly 30 NI firms including pub\u00a0owner Wine Inns \u2018failed to pay minimum wage to workers,\u2019 according to the UK Government (Alamy\/PA)<\/p>\n

News Catch Up – Tuesday 28th May<\/p>\n

All the workers left short will be repaid a combined \u00a37.4 million, following investigations by HMRC between 2015 and 2022.<\/p>\n

The national living wage was \u00a311.44 in the year to the end of March, and has risen to \u00a312.21 since April.<\/p>\n

The minimum wage for 18-20-year-olds rose to \u00a310 this year, and for those aged under 18 it rose to \u00a37.55.<\/p>\n

Justin Madders, the minister for employment rights, said: \u201cThere is no excuse for employers to undercut their workers, and we will continue to name companies who break the law and don\u2019t pay their employees what they are owed.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Government said that not all minimum wage underpayments are intentional, but those who do not pay staff correctly will be penalised.<\/p>\n

The businesses named on Thursday faced financial penalties of up to 200% of the total amount they underpaid.<\/p>\n

The full list of NI firms named for not having paid minimum wage:<\/p>\n