The workers, five of whom are from Latvia, two from Ukraine and one from Belorussia, worked for Lalor Mushrooms in Co Laois. They were working up to 70 hours a week, according to Greg O'Neill solicitors which represented the mushroom pickers. "The workers were paid by the weight of the mushrooms they picked, which worked out at 3.50 an hour." The national minimum wage is currently 8.30 per hour.

A Rights Commissioner awarded settlements ranging from 7,563 to 18,298 under the National Minimum Wage Act, and awards of around 3,750 each for having to work beyond the maximum 48hour working week.

But the workers had to seek payment of the awards in the Labour Court last week after Lalor mushrooms failed to pay up. Payment for the workers will now probably have to be secured through the District Court. However, O'Neill solicitors are not confident about ever getting the money for the workers.

"Some of the workers have found alternative employment elsewhere and one woman is still looking for employment in the mushroom industry in the area but to date has had little success. But two of the Latvians have since returned to their country, " said the solicitors.

This is the second major exploitation scandal to hit the Irish mushroom industry, which relies almost totally on cheap, imported labour from Eastern European countries, mainly Latvia and Lithuania. A year ago, 17 Latvian mushroom pickers . . .

working for Kilnaleck Mushrooms in Co Cavan . . . were awarded almost 30,000 each after the Employment Appeals Tribunal ruled that their dismissals were "flagrantly unfair".

That case prompted Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Micheal Martin, to order an investigation of the mushroom industry to root out exploitation of non-national workers.

A Department spokeswoman said that the labour inspectors were still focused on the industry but she admitted that they were not involved in the Lalor mushrooms case. Instead, the workers brought their grievance to the Migrant Rights Centre, which then called in Greg O'Neill solicitors. "This is just the tip of the iceberg in an industry which is rife with exploitation, " said the solicitors firm.