Unite in hospitality
Unite in Hospitality – who we are and what we do?
Unite the union is the union for hospitality workers in bars, restaurants, cafes, casinos and hotels across the UK and Ireland. We are workplace activists and members supported by a team of Unite Officers and Organisers and we challenge poor employment practises across the sector; fighting for fair tips, decent wages and guaranteed minimum working hours.
JOIN US
Join Unite online today! Unite Hospitality is changing this sector, workplace by workplace. As the cost of living crisis starts to bite, we see our wages shrink and we see profits soaring and the shareholders pocketing them. Having a union in your corner gives you more strength in the fight against employers used to getting their own way.
Unite members have access to experienced Officers and Organisers for advice and support. Unite members have the support of legal teams, equalities experts and political campaigners. Join us and together we can transform this sector. Add your voice to our demands for:
- A wage we can live on - a real living wage for all ages;
- Fair tips, shifts and rotas.
- Union rights and a voice.
- Safe transport home after late shifts.
- Better work life balance: rest breaks and guaranteed hours.
- Safe, secure workplaces free from bullying and sexual harassment.
Use the form below to sign up for updates. Follow us for up-to-the minute updates, we're on you're side: Twitter and Facebook.
Check out these recent news stories of how Unite in Hospitality is bringing workers together, and winning on #JobsPayConditions.
- The Big Issue: Changemakers of 2023 - Unite Hospitality -#GetMeHomeSafely | Nearly six in 10 workers report their employers have never provided them with safe transport home. Unite’s hospitality members are campaigning to change this, and made great strides last year, with eight local authorities now backing them.
- The Caterer: Edinburgh City Council backs Unite Hospitality #GetMeHomeSafely campaign | The campaign seeks to extend employers' duty of care to include safe transport home policies for all workers. Edinburgh City Councillors backed a motion to support the campaign unanimously.
- Unite Hospitality campaign gets Sheffield city council to introduce get home safe charter | The Sheffield charter will ensure that businesses cater for their employees’ transportation home, be it by subsidising taxi costs or any other means.
- Wales Online: Demonstration urging hospitality workers to unionise takes to Cardiff streets - Unite’s Ruth Hydon: "When we organise with the support of trade unions, we win. We’re winning big pay rises for workers all over the country."
- World Coffee Portal: Unite launches campaign to highlight pay and conditions at UK coffee chains. The UK workplace union is planning to meet with staff at the UK’s ‘big four’ coffee chains to highlight the issues of pay and understaffing in the hospitality industry.
- The Guardian: An east London nightclub has shown how to unionise the nightlife sector - and win.
- Tribune: A safe commute is a workers' right.
- Tribune: How a Superstore became a union bar.
- The Guardian: Pizza Express waiting staff win back big slice of tips.
- Financial Times (FT): Want to understand 21st century power? Look at Pizza Express.
The schemes don’t cover everyone. You just have to look at the likes of Tim Martin the super wealth Wetherspoons owner who was forced to backtrack after telling staff 'go work at Tesco's', you won't get paid and Sports Direct’s Mike Ashley to know that there are some bad employees out there. Unite helped expose these two and others too.
Your employer no longer needs to let you go, if they are making you redundant, forcing you to take unpaid or paid leave or onto statutory sick pay (SSP), then please tell us about it using the form below.
