A senior trade union official in the west has accused a number of Galway city hotels of exploiting foreign students employed for the peak summer season.
The SIPTU branch secretary, Mr Michael Kilcoyne, described the experience of some students as "shocking".
"They didn't receive the minimum wage. Some of them were being paid £40 to £50 less than their colleagues. They were in poor accommodation, like small rooms, or a damp and dark basement in one case, and they were given left-over food," he said.
"One hotel deducted money every week from non-EU workers, claiming it was towards their work permits. The work permit is the responsibility of the employer and should not have to be paid for by the worker."
The money was reimbursed after SIPTU represented the students, Mr Kilcoyne said. The chief executive of the Irish Hotels Federation, Mr John Power, said he had no evidence of such exploitation. He urged SIPTU to identify the hotels to the IHF.
"If we are given the facts, we will take them seriously as we have our own internal sanctions if hotels are abusing the quality employer programme," he said. The ultimate sanction would be expulsion from the IHF.