Welsh business failing to pay minimum wage fined

The UK Government said 9,000 minimum wage workers had been underpaid a total of £1.11m.

Businesses in Wales who paid their workers less than the minimum wage have been fined more than £87,000.

Ten Welsh firms were among 182 UK companies who have been "named and shamed" by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

Officials say the most prolific offenders were retailers, hospitality businesses and hairdressers.

The hourly national minimum wage, set to increase next month, is currently £7.50 for people aged 25 and over.

UK Business Minister Andrew Griffiths said: "There are no excuses for short-changing workers. This is an absolute red line for this government and employers who cross it will get caught."

Since 2013, more than 1,700 employers have been fined for underpaying workers.

In the latest figures, BEIS said 159 workers in Wales were underpaid a total of £76,659.

The ten Welsh firms fined

• Seashells Limited, Conwy: £43,235

• Dill Indian Cuisine, Monmouthshire: £7,936

• Davies Security Ltd, Swansea: £5,914

• Oakfield Caravan Park: £5,903

• A1 Care Services, Torfaen: £4,652

• Porth Stores, Merthyr Tydfil: £4,454

• Arcadis Consulting, Cardiff: £797

• Bush House Pembroke, Pembrokeshire: £687

• Rainbow Brite Cleaning Services, Newport: £585

• NTCDucting.com, Swansea: £492

Total: £87,396.

Source: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

News of the penalties comes ahead of an increase to the national minimum wage on 1 April.

Low Pay Commission (LPC) chairman Bryan Sanderson said it was vital that workers understood their rights and employers knew their obligations.

He added: "We are pleased to see the government maintaining the momentum of its minimum wage enforcement.

"The recent announcement that all workers will have a right to payslips stating the hours they have worked is a positive step."