THE Ministry of Social Protection has launched an investigation into the payment practices of some private businesses following reports of several security companies underpaying their employees.

Subject minister, Amna Ally, made the disclosure in a DPI interview on Thursday, stating that the government will not allow employees to punish at the hands of their employers. “My Ministry has always and will continue to take this matter very seriously. As a matter of fact, at the moment a few of the companies are being investigated, and they have to pay the staff their monies or we will take them to court, and we will blacklist them, so they will not be given contracts for those purposes,” the Social Protection Minister disclosed.

She explained that in many instances, the government would deliver payments to these agencies and by law the employees should receive the hourly stipulated wage of $255. “There is a minimum wage, and some local companies do not pay them, this does not occur. The monies are not trickled down to the hard-working workers,” she said. Minister Ally said her ministry hosted seminars, conducted onsite visits, inspected company records, and investigated complaints, all in an effort to end the unlawful practices. “Some adhere, while some give a deaf ear to it, but we have had improvements in that respect,” she concluded.