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| Version 5 | Version 6 |
|---|---|
| Union campaigns on tips 'abuse' | Union campaigns on tips 'abuse' |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| A campaign to stop restaurants abusing the tips paid to staff has been launched by the UK's largest union. | |
| Lack of transparency means that service charges may be diverted into the firm's takings without the customer knowing, Unite has claimed. | |
| Some firms keep part of the service charge paid, the BBC has learned. | Some firms keep part of the service charge paid, the BBC has learned. |
| Others, including the Italian chain Carluccio's, expected customer tips to make pay up to the minimum wage. Carluccio's declined to comment. | Others, including the Italian chain Carluccio's, expected customer tips to make pay up to the minimum wage. Carluccio's declined to comment. |
| A BBC investigation found Carluccio's paid some waiters £3.75 an hour, which is below the legal minimum . | A BBC investigation found Carluccio's paid some waiters £3.75 an hour, which is below the legal minimum . |
| HAVE YOUR SAY I'll only tip if the service is beyond what I'm paying for Dave, Barwell, Leicester Send us your comments | HAVE YOUR SAY I'll only tip if the service is beyond what I'm paying for Dave, Barwell, Leicester Send us your comments |
| Restaurant groups were found to hold back a proportion of staff tips, including Pizza Express - which keeps 8% - and The Real Eating Company food chain in Sussex, which retains 22%. | Restaurant groups were found to hold back a proportion of staff tips, including Pizza Express - which keeps 8% - and The Real Eating Company food chain in Sussex, which retains 22%. |
| Staff at one Tootsies restaurant in the home counties complained the company kept 60%. Tootsies declined to comment. | Staff at one Tootsies restaurant in the home counties complained the company kept 60%. Tootsies declined to comment. |
| Administrative burden | Administrative burden |
| Helena Hudson of the Real Eating Company defended her company's tips policy, saying it reflected the administrative burden of distributing tips among staff. | Helena Hudson of the Real Eating Company defended her company's tips policy, saying it reflected the administrative burden of distributing tips among staff. |
| "It's a service we provide, which I'd far rather not have to do," she said. | "It's a service we provide, which I'd far rather not have to do," she said. |
| She denied staff were being ripped off. | She denied staff were being ripped off. |
| "At least we don't use tips to top up the minimum wage," she added. | "At least we don't use tips to top up the minimum wage," she added. |
| The Unite union is calling for changes to legislation to crack-down on those employers who use customers tips to pay their staff the legal minimum amount. | The Unite union is calling for changes to legislation to crack-down on those employers who use customers tips to pay their staff the legal minimum amount. |
| It also thinks restaurateurs should be more open with diners about their tips policy. | It also thinks restaurateurs should be more open with diners about their tips policy. |
| "We would like to see an obligation on employers to be fair and transparent about the way they distribute tips," Dave Turnbull from Unite told the BBC. | "We would like to see an obligation on employers to be fair and transparent about the way they distribute tips," Dave Turnbull from Unite told the BBC. |
| "All of this will be news to restaurant-goers who assume that all that they leave as a tip is going to the staff," he said. | "All of this will be news to restaurant-goers who assume that all that they leave as a tip is going to the staff," he said. |
| Unite officials will protest later outside Pizza Express in Wimbledon, south London, against the sacking of a former employee whom they claim was fired for blowing the whistle on the company's tips policy. | Unite officials will protest later outside Pizza Express in Wimbledon, south London, against the sacking of a former employee whom they claim was fired for blowing the whistle on the company's tips policy. |
| Pizza Express said the man was sacked for mis-representing the company policy, by claiming it profited from the money it deducts from the tips. | Pizza Express said the man was sacked for mis-representing the company policy, by claiming it profited from the money it deducts from the tips. |