The businesses are among 491 firms named on a list published by the Government
Five East Yorkshire companies are among almost 500 businesses which have been slapped with a combined £10.2m fine for failing to pay staff the National Minimum Wage. A coach company, two nurseries and a contracting business are among the firms which collectively failed to pay more than £22,000 to 66 members of staff.
They are named on a long list published by the Government amid efforts to ‘Make Work Pay’, saying strong enforcement protects workers and also protects “those businesses who do right by their staff from being undercut”. The 66 East Yorkshire workers are among around 42,000 affected workers who have been repaid to the tune of £6m by their employers.
The regional list is topped by Acklam’s Coaches Limited in Beverley, which failed to pay £18,570.52 to 37 workers, followed by entertainment news business Uncrazed Ltd, based in Hull, which failed to pay £1,788.78 to five workers.
Meanwhile Wilcocks Contractors Ltd in Goole failed to pay one workers £1,152.00, and Blue Sky Day Nursery Limited in Market Weighton failed to pay £552.69 to six workers. The list is rounded off by Nursery Rhymes (Yorkshire) Limited of Bridington, which failed to pay £512.43 to 17 workers.
The 491-long UK list includes well known retailers including Go Outdoors and Holland & Barrett, as well as other high profile names including Avis, Avis Budget, Centrica Plc, Hugo Boss and Mitchells & Butlers Plc. It is topped by Blackburn based Euro Garages Limited which failed to pay £824,383.62 to 3,317 workers, Red Contract Solutions of Salford,which didn’t pay £652,395.20 to 11,631 workers and CSG FM Limited in Gomersal, which owed £529,083.65 to 467 workers.
The Government said that, by taking swift action against the employers, it is sending a clear message that it will not tolerate those who short-change their workers, regardless of their size or sector.
Business Secretary Peter Kyle said: “Every worker deserves a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work, and this government will not tolerate rogue employers who short-change their staff. I know that no employer wants to end up on one of these lists.
“But our Plan to Make Work Pay cracks down on those not playing by the rules. This ensures a level playing field where all businesses pay what they owe whilst workers receive the boost to their living standards they deserve.”
Niall Mackenzie, Acas chief executive, said: “Not only is it important for employers to pay the correct minimum wage rates, it is also the law. Failing to do so can result in grievances and potentially legal action, including costly employment tribunals, as well as being named and shamed.
“Acas has advice on how employers can ensure they calculate the correct rate to pay their workers and what employees should do if they think they are not being paid the correct amount.”
Employment Rights Minister Kate Dearden added: “This government is taking direct action to ensure workers get every penny they’ve earned, and to put an end to bad businesses undercutting good ones. We are proud to have delivered a strong minimum wage and enforcing it thoroughly is crucial in our mission to put pounds back in your pocket.
“I know this news will be welcomed by brilliant businesses across the country, those who know that happy well-paid staff are at the heart of building a successful company. With our new Fair Work Agency and the coming Employment Rights Bill, this government is keeping our promise to Britain to make work pay again.”
Get all the latest headlines sent straight to your inbox for free with our newsletter. You can stay up to date with all the breaking news and top stories as they happen in Hull and East Yorkshire by clicking this link.