// BBC UK NEWS — CRONACA
Former workers fight for wages they say they're owed: 'It makes me sick'
Watch: Three people who say they are owed wages tell the BBC about their experiences
What happens when your boss is also the HR department, the grievance handler and the person deciding whether you get paid?
"I just want my wages. It's my hard work. I just want what I'm owed."
Sonia Garcia Monuz is one of several workers trying to recover money she believes she is owed by a catering firm based in Berkshire.
Latest figures show early conciliation cases involving unpaid wages rose by about 17% between 2024 and 2025, according to Acas – the independent body that helps resolve workplace disputes.
Acas says nearly half of hospitality workers, 49%, experience problems at work.
Sonia began working as a full-time chef at Viking Catering Ltd in June 2024 and says the first six months were positive.
But after a series of disagreements with the owner, she handed in her notice and left in August 2025.
Sonia says she was never paid her final pay packet and is owed £2,300. She says she is not the only person affected.
"A lot of us are waiting for our wages to pay our bills," she says.