HUNDREDS of employers have been named as having failed to pay the minimum wage.

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy today named 260 employers for failing to pay 16,000 workers at least minimum wage rates.

Government investigators identified £1.7 million in back pay for some of the UK’s lowest paid workers and fined employers £1.3 million for underpayment.

One of those in the list is Ron Skinner & Sons Ltd which is located in Tredegar, Blaenau Gwent.

Retail, hairdressing and hospitality businesses were among the most prolific offenders in this round. Common reasons for errors made include: failing to pay workers travelling between jobs, deducting money for pay for uniforms and not paying for overtime.

Since 2013, the scheme has identified £8 million in back pay for 58,000 workers, with 1,500 employers fined a total of £5 million. This year the Government will spend a record £25.3 million on minimum wage enforcement.

Secretary of state for Wales Alun Cairns said: “It is unacceptable for employers not to pay their staff the wages they should receive.

“Today’s announcement shows how the UK Government is clamping down on the nine employers in Wales who have failed to pay their staff the National Minimum Wage.

“I encourage employees who think they are being underpaid to seek Government advice to ensure they receive what they’re entitled to.

“The UK Government is working hard to create the right conditions for economic growth and job creation in Wales, but without compromising  employee rights.”

Rates will rise again in April 2018, giving young workers in particular the biggest pay boost in a decade.