The government promised in 2018 to end unfair tipping practice but has failed to act.
Unite is concerned at the growing trend of employers pitting low waged workers against each other by bringing in new tipping policies in a bid to supplement low wages.
These policies redirect card and debit card tips away from minimum waged waiting staff to back of house and more senior staff.
Unite is urging the government to get a move on and bring in the new laws promised at last year’s Conservative party conference to ensure greater fairness and transparency in the pooling and distribution of tips without delay.
The government’s failure to legislate is letting rogue bosses off the hook. It’s time for ministers to deliver the legislation needed to tackle the myriad of tipping scams that still exist without delay.
Most of the changes to tipping policies we are seeing have nothing to do with ensuring “greater fairness” between front and back of house staff, but are being driven from purely financial reasons.
The recruitment and retention crisis in the industry’s kitchens is entirely of its own making, caused by chronic low wages and long hours.
Instead of finding extra money to pay these workers, employers are increasingly raiding the credit and debit card tips waiters have come to rely on to make ends meet.
The restaurant chain Carluccio’s tipping policy is an example, pitting low waged workers against each other and is grossly unfair. It cut the income of waiting staff in half overnight by including higher paid managers and senior staff in the tronc scheme (a pooling system used to distribute credit and debit card tips).
Cutting a workers’ income in half overnight and without notice is reckless and inhumane.
To be clear, under the previous policy, waiting staff members at Carluccio’s shared 35% of their card tips with back of house staff and they were happy with this.
We are urging the government to introduce the legislation it promised a year ago today at last year’s Conservative party conference to end unfair practices of this kind.
Dave Turnbull is national officer for hospitality at Unite
3 Responses to “What are they waiting for? Tories miss deadline on unfair tips”
Dave Roberts
I think this site has reached a new low in terms of stupidity with this article. And that isn’t a very high bar.
Tom Sacold
Tips should not be necessary neither should they be acceptable. A worker deserves to be paid in full for their labour and the employer should charge the customer appropriately according to the costs incurred.
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