WRC secured €84k in upaid wages for workers living in Westmeath

The Workplace Relations Commission was responsible for securing over €84,000 in unpaid wages for workers in Westmeath during 2017, it emerged at Dáil Éireann level during the week.

The information was given by the Minister of State at the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Pat Breen, on foot of a request by Deputy Róisín Shortall.

Deputy Shortall asked for details of the sum of unpaid wages recovered by the Workplace Relations Commission in 2017 by area and sector.

In total, the reply revealed, the Commission recovered €1,769,484, the greatest amount of which was from the food and drink sector, who accounted for just over a quarter of the total, at €444,634.

The amount of wages recouped for workers living in Westmeath amounted to €84,046.

Minister Breen said that the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC)’s aim is to achieve voluntary compliance with employment law through the provision of education and awareness, inspection of employers’ employment records and enforcement where necessary.

“While every effort is made to secure compliance, some employers either refuse or fail to rectify the breaches identified and/or pay money due to their employees. These cases are referred for prosecution,” he stated.