A UNION has urged hospitality employers to sign up for a fair employment charter amid an ongoing recruitment crisis in the sector.

Unite the Union's hospitality branch has called on bosses to sign up to the Fair Hospitality Charter which sets a standard for fair pay and working conditions across the sector, including paying the real living wage, guaranteed hours, 100% tips, a pro-active anti sexual harassment policy and guaranteed safe transport home.

The union believes this will solve the acute staffing crisis the industry faces.

Bryan Simpson, Industrial Organiser for Unite Hospitality said: “This Charter - put together by hospitality workers - provides a fair standard for a sector which sorely needs an uplift in wages and conditions. We hope that employers will see this Charter as an antidote to the current recruitment crisis crippling our sector.”

Glasgow Times:

Caitlin Lee, Hospitality worker and Chair of Glasgow Hospitality Branch said: “If this Charter were to be implemented at my workplace my wages would go up by 25%, I would have the hours I need to pay my bills and I would feel better protected from sexual harassment. This Charter could have a huge impact on thousands of workers across Glasgow and Scotland, all it needs is employers to get behind it.”

The Charter has also been backed by Ivan McKee MSP, Minister for Business, Trade, Tourism and Enterprise and Richard Lochhead MSP, Minister for Just Transition, Employment and Fair Work, who said : “Everyone should expect to be properly rewarded for their work and treated correctly with respect, free from any forms of harassment. The Scottish Government is committed to working with trade unions and industry to ensure Scotland is the best place to live, work, invest and do business, and Fair Work is the foundation to this.

Glasgow Times: Higher Education Minister Richard Lochhead

“We support Unite’s Fair Hospitality Charter and ensuring its members, and all workers, in hospitality and wider sectors are part of and benefit from Scotland’s recovery from Covid.

“There remains many challenges as we build back differently and better in our key sectors, therefore it is essential that we all work together – Government, employers and employees – to create a revived hospitality industry with fair work at its heart and for all.  The Scottish Government looks forward to continuing that partnership working with unions and industry.”

Meanwhile, an employment app designed to help fill staff shortages in the hospitality industry in Glasgow has signed up over 1000 students since its launch. 

They believe the model can help the staff crisis as students fill 2-3 shifts completing basic tasks so that experienced staff can focus on customer service and offers students flexibility. 

Sol Schlagman, Co-Founder of Stint, said: “We built Stint to help university students earn money in a way that fits lives and help hospitality transition from an outdated staffing model.

"Whilst the delays to full reopening this year created additional challenges, our solution has helped many businesses through the summer and with all the struggles of the past 18 months, it’s more valuable now than ever before. We're helping businesses across [insert location] recover and rebuild while also helping students earn some much needed extra cash. We look forward to signing up many more students this September as they return to university.”