Corbyn promises 100% of customer tips will go to staff under Labour
The Labour leader said the party would make it illegal for “rogue employers” to take a cut from money intended for their workers.
Jeremy Corbyn is promising a Labour government will act to ensure all tips left by customers in restaurants and bars go to the staff.
The measure forms part of a package of policies to support hospitality workers to be unveiled by Mr Corbyn in a speech to the Bakers’ Union (BFAWU) annual conference in Southport on Sunday.
It will also include a “#MeToo revolution” to tackle sexual harassment and victimisation in the workplace.
Labour said its plans would put an end to practices such as employers taking a cut from tips paid on credit or debit cards as an “administration fee”, or using service charges to cover breakages, till shortages or customers “doing a runner”.
“Tips should be kept by the staff who earn them, not employers,” Mr Corbyn will say.
“It’s not fair or right that in businesses across the country, hard-working hospitality workers have had their tips pocketed by their bosses under the guise of bogus admin fees, or to cover breakages, till shortages or customer walkouts.”
On the “#MeToo revolution” – inspired by the case of movie mogul Harvey Weinstein – Labour is promising to legislate to ban non-disclosure agreements which prevent the disclosure of future discrimination, harassment or victimisation.
The party said it will also double the timeframe within which employment tribunal cases can be brought and require employers to publish their sexual harassment policy, and the steps being taken to implement it, on their external websites.
Mr Corbyn will say: “Sexual harassment is a scourge in our society. Without proper rights, contracts and union representation, hospitality staff are at greater risk of being harassed and abused in their workplace.
“Labour will bring about a workplace rights revolution, so people are free to do their jobs, in the hospitality sector and beyond, without facing unacceptable behaviour and abuses of power from colleagues, clients or customers.”
Unite national officer Rhys McCarthy said: “After a three-year fight for action on tipping abuses, Unite welcomes today’s announcement by Jeremy Corbyn that under a Labour government, hospitality workers will get to keep 100% of their hard-earned tips.
“The Government has utterly failed to crack down on rip-off tip scams as promised. It is nearly two years since the then business secretary Sajid Javid launched a consultation on tipping with the words ‘Tips should go to workers, not employers’.”
