WRC orders firm linked to landlord Marc Godart to pay €2,000 compensation to former worker

A rental company linked to controversial landlord Marc Godart has been ordered by the Workplace Relations Commission to pay €2,000 in compensation to a former worker who complained she was owed money for her work as a showing agent.

The former worker, Dunia Rojas, started her employment in Dublin in October 2023 with Itzig Sarl, which did not send any party to represent it at the hearing.

Ms Rojas complained to the WRC the company did not pay her on time and “always had an excuse” for not paying the total amount owed to her.

She submitted that Itzig Sarl stopped answering her queries about her payments and that she had “calls and WhatsApp chats as evidence”.

The complainant was interviewed for the job on October 6th, 2023, and asked to commence employment straight away, to which she agreed.

However, shortly after the commencement of employment, Ms Rojas was told a mistake had been made and that the job was a commission-only position, she submitted.

The WRC judgment published on Thursday upholding her complaint states Ms Rojas had “reluctantly” agreed to this change and continued to show potential clients rooms and accommodation that were available for rent.

Ms Rojas submitted she did not receive any payment for the first two weeks and was told by Itzig Sarl that she would be paid monthly.

The complainant further submitted that when she did receive payment after the first month it was not correct. When Ms Rojas queried the figure she was told a correction would be made the following month. Ms Rojas said Itzig Sarl then asked her to send them her passport but told the company she was not happy and that she intended to leave.

No payslips or a contract were ever issued to the complainant, noted WRC adjudication officer Jim Dolan in his decision.

Neither Itzig Sarl nor any representative attended the WRC hearing, despite the tribunal writing to the company on March 20th, 2024, in a letter containing arrangements for the slated April hearing.

Mr Dolan said he was satisfied that Ms Rojas’s complaint was well-founded under the Terms of Employment (Information) Act 1994 and that Itzig Sarl had breached section three of the Act.

Mr Dolan ordered Itzig Sarl to pay Ms Rojas €2,032, with transfer of the money to be made within 42 days of the decision.

Mr Godart, who is from Luxembourg, has along with his family invested in property in Dublin and elsewhere in Ireland in recent years and is primarily involved in the short-term letting business, usually by way of rooms with multiple beds in them. He has had a number of negative findings made against him by the Residential Tenancies Board following complaints by tenants and has had fire safety notices issued against him by Dublin Fire Brigade.

Mr Godart operates dozens of Irish companies that are in turn owned by Itzig Sarl.