The boss of a north-east curry house has said that a “simple accountancy mistake” was to blame for members of his staff being underpaid.
Broch Tandoori Ltd, which trades as B Raj Tandoori on Fraserburgh’s High Street, was “named and shamed” by the UK Government in a report revealing businesses which had failed to pay the minimum wage.
Owner Baldev Soni has now blamed an error on the oversight, and said that all workers were paid promptly once the problem was uncovered.
The issue – which meant five employees missed out on earnings totalling £193.46 – was discovered during an HM Revenue and Customs inspection.
Mr Soni said: “This matter was resolved. It was just a simple accountancy mistake.”
Mr Soni, who has been trading in the port for 18 years and was in based Peterhead before, added: “It has all been sorted out.”
The restaurant boss said the wages that were paid were only a “few pennies” short of the hourly statutory entitlement.
The National Minimum Wage increased in October 2013 by 20p to £6.70 an hour.
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills revealed that 92 companies had since underpaid employees by more than £1.8million.
Business Minister Nick Boles said: “As a one nation government on the side of working people, we are determined that everyone who is entitled to the National Minimum Wage receives it.
“There is no excuse for not paying staff the wages they’re entitled to.
“Our policy of naming and shaming employers who ignore the law means there are consequences for their reputation as well as their wallets.”
Since the policy was first introduced, 490 employers have been named publicly, with total arrears of more than £3million and total penalties of more than £1.1million.
The B Raj, a regular name in food award circuits in the country, has been described as the “best Indian restaurant in the north-east” by local MP Alex Salmond.