Palma restaurant owner arrested over alleged worker exploitation

National Police arrested a restaurant owner in Palma, Mallorca, on 21 August on suspicion of exploiting several employees. Investigators allege that staff worked shifts of up to 12 hours a day for monthly pay of barely €1,000.

Police said a routine inspection last summer had found one employee at the suspect’s business without regular immigration status. The Labour and Social Security Inspectorate subsequently imposed a €10,000 fine.

This summer, officers found two further people without regular status working at the same restaurant, as well as another at a recently opened business run by the owner.

Employees told investigators that their terms did not match their contracts and breached rules on working hours, rest days, holidays and pay. They said they sometimes worked nights, could take one day off a week if possible, and had never received holiday leave.

The workers said they accepted the pay because they needed to support their families in their countries of origin. The owner was arrested on suspicion of an offence against workers’ rights.

Topics: Police · Food & dining · Palma

Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com