Migrants earning as little as €2 an hour
MORE than half of migrants who work in restaurants earn less than the minimum wage and the majority get no overtime or Sunday pay.
A new report has revealed that some workers earn just €2 an hour and some work up to 75 hours a week.
The Migrant Rights Centre last night said the study showed some of the worst abuses of employment rights.
It called on the government to take immediate action to end exploitation in the industry.
It urged the government to end a two-and-a-half year delay in passing the Employment Law Compliance bill into law.
The legislation will give inspectors the power to impose on-the-spot fines on employers for breaches of legislation.
A total of 53pc of the 115 migrant workers who were surveyed said they earned less than the minimum hourly wage of €8.65 an hour, while 43pc said they worked more than the legal limit of 48 hours a week.
In addition, 44pc said they did not get rest breaks, over 84pc did not get overtime or a contract and 51pc did not get pay slips.
Others said they had been threatened with deportation or harm to their families if they complained, according to the Exploitation in Ireland's Restaurant Industry report.
A higher percentage of migrants work in the hospitality sector than any other sector in the economy.
It is estimated that 35pc of the 130,000 workers in the industry are migrants.
One worker, Jamal, from Bangladesh, said he paid €5,000 to his boss to work as a chef at an Indian restaurant and was told he would earn €300 a week. He ended up with €50 a week.
- Anne-Marie Walsh Industry Correspondent
