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They're paid to the workers' leader at times (5)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

wages

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'they're paid to' is the definition.
The definition suggests an adverb but the answer is not.

'workers' leader at times' is the wordplay.
'leader' says to take the initial letters.
'at' means one lot of letters go next to another.
'times' becomes 'ages' (age is a kind of time).
The initial letter of 'workers' is 'w'.
'w'+'ages'='WAGES'

'the' acts as a link.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for wages that I've seen before include "Worker's income" , "Money for work" , "Earnings for work - or of sin" , "Weekly pay" , "Payments to employee for work" .)

I've seen this clue in the Evening Standard.
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