Nine former employees of The Food Point Limited, a restaurant in Limerick City, have been awarded nearly €22,000 by the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) for unpaid wages and labor law violations. The ruling follows staff protests over delayed and missing payments, leading to the restaurant’s abrupt closure.
Frederico Madureira, the former head chef, testified that he worked up to 111 hours per week when the restaurant launched in September 2023. Despite his long hours, he was never paid for 163 hours of work completed in November. Speaking before WRC adjudicator Ewa Sobanska, Madureira stated, “Everyone should receive pay for working. If they don’t get paid, they shouldn’t have to work.”
Madureira and eight other workers filed complaints under the Payment of Wages Act and the Organisation of Working Time Act. Their awards ranged from €962 to €2,926, covering unpaid wages, Sunday premiums, and annual leave. An additional €500 was awarded to each of the eight workers for violations of their Sunday pay rights.
Kitchen assistant Rafaela dos Santos, testifying through a Portuguese-language interpreter, said, “They stopped paying us, so we stopped working.” Many of the employees were earning the minimum wage of €11.30 per hour, with no premium for Sunday shifts.
Despite legal notices, the company’s director, Igor Roese de Conto, did not appear at hearings, citing stress without providing medical evidence. Representatives from Dermot G O’Donovan solicitors attended hearings in December 2024 on behalf of the company after earlier adjournments.
The WRC rejected claims for notice pay because none of the employees had worked the minimum 13 weeks required. Additionally, complaints under the National Minimum Wage Act were dismissed because the workers had not requested formal statements of their working hours.
The workers who secured awards are Dheinifer Andrade, Deivission Bernabe, Jeneffe Silva, Jasmina Yassine, Rafaela dos Santos, Frederico Madureira, Patrícia Gasperini, Cadmilo Brandao, and Cassio Ramos. Together, they received a total of €21,728, marking a significant victory in their fight for fair treatment and compensation.
