Stringfellow slammed

Unite has slammed strip club owner Peter Stringfellow after he admitted scantily clad waitress at his venues in central London only get to keep around half their tips.

Stringfellow became embroiled in the ongoing row over high street businesses pocketing tips after staff claimed they often make less than the minimum wage. They are paid just ÂŁ6.50 per hour and rely on tips to make up their wages.

Unite has led a high-profile recent campaign against restaurant chains and others withholding gratuities meant for staff.

A Stringfellows waitress, who is paid ÂŁ39 for a six-hour shift said: “Sometimes we are in less clothes than the dancers and we go home with less than the minimum wage – it’s degrading.

“When you work there you think it’s normal but you see these other places come out of the woodwork (over tipping policy) and think otherwise. We get customers that turn around and say how much are you getting of this and we say we get under half of it.

Respect

“Sometimes we go home with ÂŁ25, ÂŁ30 in tips – we could earn that in Starbucks where we would get more respect.”

The club baron sought to dismiss his employees’ concerns, with the 74 year-old saying: “If they don’t like it, being a nightclub in the west end of London, they can maybe go find a waitress job somewhere else, it’s quite simple.”

Dismissive

Dave Turnbull, the union’s officer for the hospitality sector, said: “Mr Stringfellow seems to be giving the usual dismissive response hospitality employers give whenever their staff raise concerns about the allocation of tips.

“Essentially he saying ‘if you don’t like it you know where the door is’. Unfortunately 350,000 workers find that door every year and leave the industry for good.

“The sector’s excessive staff turnover problem is costing it ÂŁ274 million a year. Maybe being fair on tips would stem the flow and save them some money into the bargain.”