€1.5m damages payout for underpaid migrant workers

Mr Justice David Keane, sitting in the High Court in Dublin, ruled that 27 Portuguese workers are entitled to recover damages over breach of their employment contracts with three Portuguese companies trading as the RAC Éire partnership.

The legal action was raised by the workers against Rosas Construtores S.A, Construcoes Gabriel A.C. Couto S.A, andEmpresa Deconstrucores Amandio Carvalho S.A.

Mr Justice Keane said the firms engaged in “systematic and deliberate” under-recording of hours worked in order to deny wages to workers.

The firms also illegally deducted €17.50 from workers’ salaries per day for accommodation of a “deplorable, even dangerous” standard and €3.75 for laundry services.

However, the firms were entitled to make deductions for food of a reasonable standard which was provided to workers.

The exact sum of damages will be determined later.