Staff at 5-star hotel win fight for £140,000 in unpaid tips
WORKERS at a luxury
Scottish hotel are being handed nearly £140,000 in unpaid tips after it was held back by bosses. Around 200 low-paid employees at the five-star Cameron House are to share in £138,000 after union leaders launched a campaign against the hotel.
Restaurant and bar staff fought against a new, unclear service charge that saw all card tips being withheld until the end of the year – leaving them allegedly £200 to £300 worseoff each month.
But employees will now see a huge boost to incomes as card tips and service charges worth around £70,000 each month are to be shared out more ‘fairly’.
Julie Nixon, Cameron House Assistant Sommelier and Unite Hospitality Representative, said: ‘Our tips are the difference between us being able to make ends meet on a minimum wage job and not.
‘We are delighted that Cameron House has finally seen sense and facilitated the establishment of a democratically elected tips committee.
‘Fair tips legislation is sorely needed in our industry but while it has long been promised, it’s never been delivered.
‘In the meantime, Unite members, workers like us, will continue to stand together to demand what we deserve.’
Set within 400 acres of Loch Lomond countryside, Cameron House has previously hosted the former US President Barack Obama and offers wine up to a cost of £1,200.
Unite helped workers to set up a staff tipping committee that investigated how the company was distributing tips and service charges. It was this committee that urged Cameron House to implement a different system and to give out the withheld cash.
Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham said: ‘Unite’s Cameron House members took on the company’s unfair tipping practices and won substantial improvements to their earnings. This is another example of how Unite’s focus on improving jobs, pay and conditions is resulting in real wins which puts real money in member’s pay packets.’
Unite Hospitality Organiser Bryan Simpson added: ‘Legislation to ensure that hospitality workers receive fair tips is long overdue. But this result shows that workers do not have to wait for politicians. By acting collectively and organising a tipping committee, Unite’s Cameron House members took back what was theirs and demonstrated to hospitality workers across the UK that they can do it too.’
Following the agreement, Cameron House said that it had always distributed tips to ‘eligible staff’ but was happy to agree to a new model.
A spokesperson for Cameron House Resort said: ‘The hotel has always distributed all
‘We will stand together’ ‘Took back what was theirs’
service charges and gratuities to eligible staff.
‘We’re delighted that, after a democratic vote, our valued team members have agreed a new distribution model with the primary modification being that the portion of these monies that historically had been paid annually will now be paid monthly.
‘We are committed to doing what is right and will continue to listen to our team members to continue to make Cameron House truly exceptional.’