Waiters Protestors To Tell Pizza Express To 'Give Us Our Dough'

Waiters, one of the the UK's worst paid workers, will call on Pizza Express to stop pocketing an estimated £1m that should go to poorly paid staff, at a protest in central London on Thursday 21 May.

Protesters will tell Pizza Express, which has 430 outlets across the UK, to 'give us our dough' and 'stop pinching our tips' over the company's continued practice of deducting an 8% admin charge from customer tips paid with a credit card.

Seven years ago, Unite the union's successful fair tips campaign lifted the lid on restaurants misusing tips to top up wages to the minimum wage. The law was changed, but this has not been enough to stop Pizza Express pocketing an estimated £1m a year from the credit card admin charge, according to Unite.

Later in the day, protesters will take the fight to end zero-hours contracts to the Grosvenor House Hotel in central London where many waiting staff, particularly banqueting staff still do not have permanent contracts.

According to a snap survey of Unite waiting staff in London, 88% feel cheated out of tips, 20% are on zero-hours contracts and 63% earn the minimum wage of just £6.50 an hour.

Dave Turnbull, Unite regional officer, said: "Back in 2008, Unite spearheaded the fair tips campaign with protests outside restaurants like Pizza Express. Fast-forward seven years and we're back to call on the company to scrap its unfair admin charge on tips once and for all. They claim it's standard industry practice – it's not.

"Our members whether they work behind bars, in restaurants or provide room service in hotels are proud of the jobs they do. But they are angry at the disrespect shown to them and their profession by highly profitable hotel and restaurant chains."

(CD/JP)