Building firms named and shamed on minimum wage list

Two Scottish building companies are among a list of almost 40 employers who have been “named and shamed” by the UK government for failing to pay the national minimum wage.

J Wood Joiners and Builders of Edinburgh failed to pay £3,373.19 to four workers while Building Projects Ltd in Dundee was named for not paying £2,345.85 to three workers.

A total of 37 offenders, include a childcare centre in Wolverhampton and a cleaning company in Worksop, were described as owing workers £177,000 in arrears. They face financial penalties totalling more than £51,000.

Business Minister Jo Swinson said: “Paying less than the minimum wage is illegal, immoral and completely unacceptable. If employers break this law we will take tough action by naming, shaming and fining them as well as helping workers recover the hundreds of thousands of pounds in pay owed to them.

“We are also looking at what more we can do to make sure workers are paid fairly in the first place. Employers that fail to pay the national minimum wage face penalties of up to £20,000.”