A total of 25,000 workers received an increase in their salaries upon being paid for the month of January according to the Labour ministry, following an increase in the minimum wage.

The government announced in December that the minimum wage would increase from €940 to €1,000, effective from January.

Employees had at the time expressed dissatisfaction over the rise, citing economic concerns, while some employers had expressed concerns that a raise would increase operating costs.

The ministry also said on Thursday it planned to “carry out targeted inspections in workplaces” and “analyse the data of social insurance contributions” to ensure employers had raised their workers’ salaries accordingly.

They also said they would “analyse potential complaints” and impose fines on offending companies.