Firm denies raft of allegations made by its staff

A Dundee pub chain at the centre of Covid-related health concerns is facing accusations bosses failed to deal with sexual harassment complaints as well as basic hygiene and safety issues.

Current and former staff have accused upper management at Macmerry300 and Abandon Ship Ltd of more than 60 grievances in a union-backed letter.

The firm has rejected all claims but said it is willing to discuss any genuine grievances or concerns.

The letter, backed by the union Unite Hospitality, details an atmosphere where sexual misconduct was allegedly ignored by company management.

It is on top of a long list of claims including that bosses tried to cover up a Christmas Covid outbreak and pressured staff to work who may have had the virus.

Workers claim upper management also fostered a sexist atmosphere, where sexual comments are often made to employees. The company has been accused of failing to ban “predatory customers and former staff members” from venues.

Staff have also accused Dundee bar bosses of a failure to support those who suffer such bullying or sexual harassment, as “there is no widely known HR”.

And the letter claimed there have been various health and safety breaches, including food stored in cellars instead of the fridge due to a lack of space.

It says staff were expected to deal with flooding issues, including removing “biohazards such as human faeces”, though the specific venues this relates to were not documented.

The grievance also lists “health code violations in kitchens across the company”.

Included are claims of unsanitary ice machines, unsafe temperatures for kitchen staff; dangerous electrical issues and failed kitchen hygiene checks.

Also, a lack of hot water to clean hands and dishes, no alarms in the disabled toilets in multiple venues and no disabled alarm support

Ewan McCallum, 22, a bartender at Bird & Bear, claimed workers were often placed in precarious safety conditions.

He said: “There’s an ice machine on a back stairway for service staff at the King of Islington and the light didn’t work for a time.

“We had to go there (from Bird & Bear) for a while when our ice machine broke. It was a pitch black stairway, it’s almost vertical and it’s not wide at all.

Cheri O’Donnell, 24, a bartender in Draffens, said: “There’s so much on the stairway, like coats, ladders and insulation. And you’re carrying heavy, slippery ice.”

The letter claims the company failed to pay staff sick pay and holiday pay.

Employees said they are regularly paid late or irregularly and many do not receive payslips and have suffered from tax and pension inconsistencies.

Many also allegedly do not have contracts and claim they often do not get legally-required breaks.

A spokesperson for MacMerry300 stressed that the company “utterly refutes” the “alleged issues” but would discuss any “genuine grievances or concerns” with its staff.