Minimum Wage as Contractor?

atmmusa

I have been working sometime as a Delivery Driver for a well known restaurant/takeaway (Don't wanna mention the name yet) here in dublin. When I joined the company I gave all my details (Passport, pps etc.) but only recently found out they never paid any tax or anything on my name.
I am paid 6 euro an hour as basic plus delivery charge 1.75 as flat rate per delivery, even though they charge customers from 2.50 to 3.50.But we never get paid more than 1.75 even if it is 2 or 10km distance. And honestly most of them are over 5km distance.
Now I had a talk with the manager and she said they are paying me 6 an hour as i am a contractor and I am liable for my tax and everything. She also presented me with the Contract paper which says exactly that. But it doesn't mentions I get paid 6 euro an hour.
Now my question is shouldn't I be paid minimum 8.65 an hour? And they calculate the tax on on that plus the money i make on delivery charges.
How can these company get away with paying 6 euro an hour saying we work as contractor even though our wages is calculated as pay per hour.

Now I have refused to sign in the contract like that n told her they shouldn't be paying me 6 euro an hour in the 1st place. Now can some1 clarify can these companies really pay someone below minimum wage even though they count work as hours?
Another thing I should mention, she also has told me if I don't sign the contract as it is they have to let me go.Can really employers really fire you for not signing a contract which takes advantage of the employees.

Thanks everyone for your time to read this through.

Milk & Honey

Have a chat with Scope section of the Department of social Protection.

Scope Section
Department of Social and Family Affairs
Floor 3
Oisín House
Pearse Street
Dublin 2.
Telephone: (01) 673 2585
Fax: (01) 673 2460
Email: info@welfare.ie