No to tipping cap

Unite has firmly rejected government proposals to cap the amount in tips restaurants can deduct from waiting staff.

The union — which has led a campaign for tipping fairness — is urging business secretary Sajid Javid not to introduce a system that will make it lawful for an employer to pocket a proportion of staff’s tips.

Unite said it was relieved that the government was beginning to take seriously the problems caused for restaurant workers by their employers keeping a proportion of the tips they earn.

Unite officer for the hospitality sector, Dave Turnbull said: “We are pleased that the government has woken up to this scandal but we would ask that they think carefully about an effective solution.

“Capping admin fees will simply legitimise the underhand practice of restaurants taking a slice of staff tips and be near enough impossible to enforce”, he said.

Turnbull also called on ministers to fully get to grips with the situation, adding: “When customers eat at the likes of Pizza Express they give tips in the expectation that all of it will go to staff and not be pocketed by management.

Play fair

“Only last week Giraffe scrapped its 10 per cent admin fee on tips, joining chains like Restaurant Group and Jamie Oliver’s to play fair with their staff.

“Rather than tinkering around the edges, Sajid Javid should be looking to scrap what is effectively a tax by restaurant bosses on money meant for the pockets of hardworking staff. The principle ought to be that the tips go to those who have earned them, plain and simple. 

He also questioned how any such cap would work, saying “who would police this system?  The government agencies responsible for regulating the system now are already seriously under-resourced and can’t keep across abuses – they just would not be able to cope with this additional burden. 

Appeal

“I appeal to the minister to discuss with us on how to make this work as a great deal of thought has already gone into this. The reality is that the problems now before us could have been headed off years ago.”

 

Unite says that the failure of the Coalition government to honour the pledge by the last Labour government to ensure a proper review of the code of practice governing tipping practices has contributed to the present day situation whereby, in the main chain, restaurants take a hefty share of the workers’ tips.

The union believes that the British Hospitality Association’s code, which is a much watered down version of that agreed by a cross-sector of industry stakeholders, ought to be given no legitimacy by the government.

“The minister”, Turnbull added, “needs to understand that the only way forward is the most just way – let the workers keep their tips.”