AN IMMIGRANT worker who claimed he was overworked and did not get his proper breaks or all his holidays has had his compensation boosted to €7,000 by the Labour Court.
Last year a rights commissioner found Valerij Romanichev's claim against Prestige Recycling was "well founded" and awarded him €5,000 compensation.
Mr Romanichev appealed the size of the award to the court.
He said he worked 66 hours per week, including Sundays and public holidays, received only two weeks' paid leave in two years, and did not get the correct breaks.
No representative of Prestige turned up for the appeal hearing in the court, on February 26th.
Mr Romanichev said he had worked for Prestige for two years and normally worked 12-hour shifts and received three 20-minute breaks. He worked most Sundays but received no additional payments.
In a finding released this week, the court said that on the uncontradicted evidence of Mr Romanichev, it was satisfied that Prestige contravened the 1997 Organisation of Working Time Act.
However, some of the breach occurred outside the limitation period of the law and could not be taken into account in calculating compensation.
"In all the circumstances of the case the court is of the view that it should increase the award made by the rights commissioner."
The court said Prestige should pay Mr Romanichev €7,000 for breaches of the law in the six months before he made his claim to the commissioner.