Italian company found guilty of underpaying Metro workers

The Italian company Cipa, a subcontractor working on the Copenhagen Metro, has been found guilty of underpaying its employees. Cipa has been ordered to pay to 22 million kroner to employees from Portugal, Italy and Romania in a case brought on behalf of the workers by trade union 3F.

3F had asked for 30.5 million kroner in damages, and even though the award is nearly 10 million kroner less, it is still the largest arbitration award in Danish construction history.

READ MORE: Metro firm “controls employees through fear”

CMT, the main contractor involved in the Metro construction project, said that it takes the decision seriously.

“We take this very seriously,” Sigurd Nissen-Petersen, a CMT spokesperson, told TV2 News. “We will read the order through and talk to Metroselskabet. It is too early to say at this time what the consequences will be.”

Employees afraid
3F represented 200 Cipa Metro employees, 39 of whom testified that, among other charges, Cipa allegedly forged signatures on employee pay checks. Silas Grage from 3F said that several other employees had failed to come forward because they feared the consequences, including fearing for their families' safety.

Cipa has denied the charges throughout.

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