Time for fair work in the hospitality sector
Every worker deserves a real living wage and protections, says Scottish Greens MSP Maggie Chapman, who has called on the Scottish Government to support and impelment recommendations from the Fair Work Convention’s Fair Work Hospitality Inquiry Report.
The report, launched yesterday, made 12 recommendations, including the creation of tax incentives for businesses who pay the Real Living Wage, developing accredited training for managers to champion fair work practices, and creating a single Fair Work Charter under which hospitality businesses can operate.
Speaking after the launch, Maggie Chapman said “The hospitality sector is a vibrant and essential part of our culture and economy, and those working in it deserve clear protections.
“The Fair Work Convention has shown what many already know about the hospitality sector: it is plagued by precarity, built into its structures, with a clear lack of collective bargaining and a low expectation for what is considered ‘fair’ in work.
“Hospitality workers come from such a diverse range of backgrounds in Scotland, from the small independent coffee shops to the big city centre bars and restaurants.
“The Scottish Greens look forward to working further with the Convention as well as trade unions, to ensure that the report’s recommendations are taken forward as quickly as possible.”
The recommendations are a response to significant reports of accidents, bullying, and job insecurity, due to a lack of clarity on the protections which hospitality workers are owed.
The Convention is also working directly with Unite Hospitality’s ‘Get Me Home Safely’ campaign, which is pushing for employers to ensure their workers can get home safely after late night shifts. This campaign was established after a Unite member was sexually assaulted while walking home from a late-night shift, having been refused a taxi by her employer.
Following the report’s launch, Inquiry member from Unite Hospitality, Bryan Simpson added: “This inquiry set a really important precedent, giving workers in the sector the voice they deserve.
“Unite Hospitality workers have been working hard to deliver better conditions for their colleagues, and it is high time these voices were heard at the same table as government ministers and industry leaders. For Scotland’s lowest-paid sector, it is vital that these workers are properly recognised.
“If the recommendations are accepted and rolled out, it will be transformational for the sector. Workers’ lives will improve. And the industry as a whole will be better for it.”
Ms Chapman has also submitted a parliamentary motion recognising the work of the Convention and its report.
Text of Maggie Chapman's Motion
Title: Fair Work Hospitality Industry Inquiry
That the Parliament recognises what it sees as the important activities of the Fair Work Convention; notes that the Convention undertook an inquiry into fair work in the hospitality industry and how this could be improved for the benefit of both employers and workers; understands that the inquiry recommends the establishment of a voluntary Fair Work Charter for Hospitality that stipulates a range of workers’ protections, from payment of the Real Living Wage and recognition of Real Living Hours to effective voice through trade union access and recognition, robust anti-bullying procedures and “safe home” policies for all workers asked to travel to or from work after 11pm; further understands that Unite Hospitality’s Get Me Home Safe campaign has, and continues to promote, the adoption of “safe home” policies associated with the charter; believes that there is a continued requirement to raise awareness of the Fair Work Convention, its work and the Fair Work Charter for Hospitality, and commends and congratulates the Fair Work Convention on its ongoing work.