Waiters and waitresses demand ‘Fair Tips’ to mark
closure of government consultation
11th February 2009
PHOTO OPPORTUNITY
Date: Wednesday, 11th February 2009
Time: 11am
Location: Parliament Square, Westminster
Waiters and waitresses from across the
hospitality industry will today (Wednesday 11th
February) demand the government takes action to ensure staff get
100 pert cent of tips as the consultation into tips and service
charges closes.
Independent research released today reveals
that 94 per cent of customers feel strongly that that all tips
“should always go to the staff with no deductions by restaurant
owners”. The research was conducted by YouGov for Consumer
Focus.
Members of Unite from hotels, bars and
restaurants will visit the House of Commons to send a message to
government that the loophole in the minimum wage regulations, which
allows companies to use tips and service charges to top up salaries
to minimum wage, must be closed and a more transparent tipping
system be enforced.
Len McCluskey, Unite assistant general
secretary, said: “The message from workers and consumers to the
government on tips is undeniably strong. The Unite campaign for
fair tips has established that everyone, except greedy bosses,
believe that tips and service charges belong to the hard working
staff.
“The government must ensure employers in the
hospitality industry give a decent living wage with 100 per cent of
tips added on top. This sector has so far failed to demonstrate its
commitment to a fair and transparent tipping system. We can not
continue to allow them to abuse customer generosity.
“Unite members will welcome the closing of the
loophole which allows restaurant staff to be paid less than the
minimum wage and then make up the difference with tips. But the
government must go further and outlaw companies that take a cut of
staff tips. A tip is a reward for good service and it should go
directly to the people who earned it.”
Ed Mayo, chief executive of Consumer Focus,
said: “We are pleased to join Unite in this common sense campaign,
and welcome the news that government is to close the loophole that
allows companies to use tips left by diners for waiting staff to
top up the national minimum wage.
"An overwhelming 94 per cent of diners want
the tips they leave for waiting staff to go to them in full, with
no deductions by restaurant owners. We call on these businesses to
meet the expectations of their customers by signing up to the Fair
Tips Charter.”
After the photo opportunity members of Unite
will go to the Department of Business, Enterprise and Regulatory
Reform (BERR) to hand in the union’s consultation response and a
petition from the public in support of the fair tips campaign.
In a photo opportunity, which mocks up a scene
in a restaurant, members from the union working in hotels, bars and
restaurants will demand that the government gives them fair tips
and not allow the industry to continue to take the money customers
leave for those who have served them.
ENDS
For more information on the photo opportunity
or the Unite response to the consultation please contact Saba
Mozakka, Unite Press Office on 020 7420 8916 or 07768 693 953.
Notes to Editors
Unite launched the Fair Tips campaign in 2008.
For more information on the campaign please visit: www.unitetheunion.org/fairtips
The research by YouGov was commissioned by
Consumer Focus. All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from
YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2,187 adults. Fieldwork was
undertaken between 9th - 12th January 2009. The survey was
carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are
representative of all GB adults (aged 18+).
The Consumer Focus website can be viewed at:
http://www.consumerfocus.org.uk/
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