Workers at TGI Fridays restaurants in Milton Keynes, Covent Garden and Stratford City will mark the start of their three day bank holiday strike with protests tomorrow (24 August) and Saturday (25 August), in a walkout over tip and minimum wage abuses. 

The strike starts tomorrow (24 August) from 00:01 and ends at 23:59 on Sunday 26 August. 

WHEN: Friday 24 August and Saturday 25 August
WHERE: Details in note to editors below

This is the fifth strike by members of Unite, Britain’s biggest union, working at Covent Garden and Milton Keynes, who staged a series of walkouts over consecutive Fridays from 18 May 2018. Workers from Stratford City are joining the action for the first time. 

Chanting ‘We believe that we can win’ and ‘What do we want? Fair pay’, the Unite members are more determined than ever to stand up to the company and its exploitative practices. 

Unite will continue to make the case for action in these branches to stop bad practice across the chain’s 81 restaurants and is urging the company to get around the table to find a solution to this long running dispute. 

The dispute arose when the company introduced a new tipping policy in January with only two days’ notice which has seen the card tips earned by the waiting staff redirected to top up the low wages of kitchen staff, a move the company claims is driven by the need to stop the high turnover of kitchen staff.  

Unite regional officer Dave Turnbull said: “It is inexcusable that a company, which claims to have the best interests of its workers at heart, can continue to refuse to sit down with our members and their union to settle this dispute.

“Our members are striking for a historic fifth time, not because they want to but because they’re not being listened to. 

“It takes immense courage to take on a hedge-funded owed, multi-million company like TGI Fridays but the support that our members have had from the public has been great.  

“It is companies like TGI Fridays that give the hospitality industry a bad reputation. The sooner it realises that workers will no longer stand idly by and be exploited, the better it will be. 

“Unite will continue to make the case for action in these branches to expose bad practice across the entire business. 

“Our message to the company is ‘pay your staff fairly and talk to the union’. Together we can find a sensible solution to this dispute.” 

ENDS

For more information please contact, Unite campaigns officer Chantal Chegrinec on 07774146777 

Twitter: @unitetheunion
Facebook: unitetheunion1 

Note to editors:

  • Covent Garden 6 Bedford Street, London, WC2E 9HZ
    24/08 17:00 -19:00
  • 303 The Loft, The Gallery,  Westfield Stratford City,  London E20 1ET
    24/08- 17:00 to 19:00
    25/08 -16:00-18:00
  • Milton Keynes Stadium, 16 Stadium Way,  G1 & G2 MK1 Leisure Park, Milton Keynes, MK1
    24/08 – 17:00-19:00
    25/08 – 13:00-15:00