Hotels in boycott threat over pay
A luxury hotel chain are facing a boycott by unions after being named and shamed for failing to pay staff the minimum wage.
Macdonald Hotels were among 200 firms identified by the UK Government last month for failing to pay six workers the basic level of income.
They have also been criticised for using zerohours contracts.
The STUC trades union group and the Unite union had booked Macdonald’s Aviemore resort for their 2017 annual conferences.
The STUC were also due to use their hotel in Falkirk for their black workers’ conference next month.
They said they were given guarantees that the chain didn’t use zero-hours contracts or lower pay rates.
They are taking legal advice on cancelling the contracts, understood to be worth more than £100,000.
STUC deputy general secretary Dave Moxham said: “Both the STUC and Unite are in discussions with the group in relation to our contracts with them.”
Since the introduction of the National Living Wage in April, employees aged over 25 are entitled to a minimum of £7.20 per hour.
Those aged 21- 24 are entitled to £6.70 per hour, 18 to 20-year- olds £ 5.30 per hour and 16 to 17-year-olds £ 3.87 an hour.
Macdonald Hotels blamed an error for underpaying the six workers.
Yesterday, they confirmed they used zero- hours contracts for some staff and paid the lower National Living Wage rates to younger workers.
A spokesman for campaign group Better Than Zero said: “They should be paying their hardworking younger staff the same rate as 25-year-olds.
“They can afford to pay all their workers £7.20 an hour.”