John Williams, Cardiff Youth Fight for Jobs
It is fair to say that hospitality workers have taken a battering over the past few years. It’s estimated that over 750,000 hospitality jobs were lost as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and the effects of lockdown, where the governments of the UK refused to take a serious approach to saving the jobs of working-class people. And hospitality workers are affected by the same cost-of-living crisis as us all, but haven’t as yet been part of the strike wave over the last year. In the last few weeks there have been protests and strikes at Cardiff Glee Club (see below) and the 13th Note café in Edinburgh.
I’ve been trying to organise hospitality workers in South Wales for a few years, it’s exciting that we now have the potential to build something. There were around 15-20 hospitality workers at the launch workshop of Unite Hospitality Cardiff Branch in April. Some were in a union, others weren’t yet. I recognised some from having leafleted their workplaces. If given a lead and an opportunity, precarious workers want to fight back.
We discussed the problems people had with rotas and holiday, issues we all face at work. Youth Fight for Jobs (YFJ) has consistently campaigned for democratically elected workplace committees to oversee rotas, distribution of tips, and workplace safety.
Another problem workers face is getting home after a night shift. This has particularly become a problem as bus routes have been cut to the bone.
Unite the Union, with the ‘Get me home safely’ campaign, campaigns for venues with a late-night licence to ensure their workers get home safe. Councils should use their licensing powers to make all hospitality venues ensure their workers get home safely, including covering the transport costs of all workers. As is Unite policy, Labour councils should refuse to pass on the Tory cuts and pass no-cuts budgets that safeguard bus routes.
The strike wave has had an influence on hospitality workers – showing the way we can fight back and win. Hospitality bosses and the industry in general have plenty of money, so why can’t the people who work there get more of the dough? We need to fight to end low pay, for trade union struggle for a £15-an-hour minimum wage, with increases in line with inflation and to abolish youth rates of pay.
As hospitality becomes busier over the summer, no doubt many more students and young workers will be thinking about how they can stop their own low pay and overwork. The potential for a campaign to unionise hospitality is massive. Workers’ action can win better pay and conditions for all!
Youth Fight for Jobs says:
- End low pay. For trade union struggle for a £15-an-hour minimum wage. Abolish youth rates!
- End job insecurity and underemployment. Scrap zero-hour contracts!
- Establish democratically elected workplace committees to oversee tips, rotas, and workplace safety!
- Provide free transport for workers coming to and from work!
- Labour councils should refuse to implement Tory cuts, and instead pass no-cuts, ‘needs budgets’, which include the reinstatement and improvement of bus services so that workers can get home safely
- Make the 1% pay for the cost-of-living crisis – for democratic public ownership of major industries so they can be run in the interests of the 99%, not the bosses!
Get in touch to join the fight: youthfightforjobs.com
Unite Wales activists leaflet Cardiff Glee customers. Fight union busting!
Activists from Unite the Union, Cardiff Trades Council and members of the Socialist Party supported the protest called by Unite members at Cardiff Glee comedy club against victimisation of a union member. After over 80% of the workers at the club joined Unite, workers have been fighting hard to get the bosses to recognise the union, and have been faced with a vicious union busting campaign.
We gave out a leaflet to almost every single customer who went for a comedy gig at the venue. The real joke is the employer that is ignoring union recognition, after a court hearing ruled in favour of the union. The union is actively campaigning against victimisation of workers at the venue. Most customers didn’t know that this was the case, some showed us their union card, were friendly and willing to talk to us.
The support from the trade union movement is clear to see. The Cardiff Glee Club workers are discussing the next steps for their campaign.
