A campaign to get hospitality workers home safely has won the unanimous backing of councillors.

The Get Me Home Safely campaign calls for employers to provide transport to get staff home if their shift ends after 11pm.

Unite hospitality group launched the campaign highlighting the dangers faced by many staff working in hotels, bars, clubs and restaurants late at night.

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Staff said they don’t feel safe, and many have been assaulted or harassed on the way home.

The campaign highlighted the cost of taxis after a shift which can be at least two hours' wages for many in the sector who are mainly on low pay.

Anthony Carroll, Green councillor, proposed a motion calling on the council to take action to improve safety for late-night workers and improve transport provision.

The call got the support of SNP, Labour and Conservative councillors.

Councillor Carroll said: “I’m delighted that all councillors have supported Unite Hospitality’s call to ensure that we enforce more companies operating unsocial hours to live up to their duty of care they have to their employees." 

At the meeting, councillors told of hearing about staff relying on tips to afford a taxi home, and others having frightening experiences of being followed or harassed while walking home.

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Unite members held a protest outside before the meeting to call for councillors to support the motion.

Caitlin Lee of the group was assaulted on her way home from a shift at a hotel in the city.

She said her employer didn’t accept any responsibility for her safety, so she left the job.

She said: “I don’t want what happened to me to happen to any other worker, which is why we launched Get Me Home Safely. For this campaign to succeed we need buy-in from employers, workers and politicians."

She added: “Get Me Home Safely campaign is a cross campaign between the hospitality and the transport sector.

“It’s about ensuring all late-night workers get safe transport home, so they don’t have to suffer financial consequences having to pay for a taxi or get a late-night bus that might not be safe or even walk home.

“This month there’s going to be so many people enjoying hospitality.

“Workers shouldn’t be compromised financially or their safety compromised to provide that service."

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She said they want it to be a licence condition to ensure workers get home.

She added: “Hospitality is the lowest paid sector in the economy if you’re working past the time for getting public transport. You can be losing two hours of wages to pay for a taxi home. It’s not acceptable.”