WORKERS taking on Scotland's largest hospitality employers claim they may have broken a "stranglehold" low pay and insecurity in Glasgow after winning a "landmark legal case" over "wrongful and unfair dismissals".
A group of five staff, who had been working at Grosvenor Cafe on Ashton Lane, launched a legal battle against the G1 Group, run by millionaire Stefan King, after they were sacked.
In a written judgement of the case, the full panel Tribunal Court held that the G1 Group had “breached the contracts of three claimants by failing to give notice or payment in lieu" and had “unfairly dismissed” the other two.
The judgement is in addition to an earlier concession by lawyers representing the company that their clients had acted in breach of its employees’ statutory rights when they refused staff the right to be represented by their chosen trade union representative.
Judge Shona Maclean who handled the case said G1, which operates bars, restaurants and clubs across the city had “not carried out a reasonable and proper procedure and the decision to dismiss... fell out with the band of reasonable responses which a reasonable employer might have adopted.”
Last September, protests were staged outside the Grosvenor cinema and cafe after the dismissals.
G1 had previously been the focus of 'Better than Zero' protests from young hospitality workers to protest against what they described as "low pay, zero hours and poor employment practice".
The hospitality wing of the Unite union says their members had "beaten" G1 "on all contested counts".
Unite's hospitality and service industries branch in Glasgow added: "For 20 years the G1 Group have dominated the bar industry of our city making low pay and insecurity the norm for its workers. Today, our members may have just broken their stranglehold."
Bryan Simpson from Unite Hospitality’s said: “The G1 Group threw everything at this case; media smears, intimidatory tactics and the best lawyers money can buy and yet a collective of minimum wage bar staff have came out on top.
"This was very much a David and Goliath story for the hospitality industry - one that should give confidence to hospitality workers across the country.
"On September 52017, the board of directors for G1 Group had a letter delivered by hand by Stefan King’s private security guards to Unite’s offices on West Regent Street.
"The letter contained a formal complaint regarding the representation that they do not need to put-up with exploitation. They should join Unite Hospitality and get involved in the campaign to transform the industry.”
It was argued that the Unite the Union members were refused representation from their trade union, denied contractual notice pay and unfairly dismissed when they were sacked "en masse" in September last year.
It is the first time that the G1 group have been taken to full tribunal for unfair dismissal.
A spokeswoman from the G1 Group said before the hearing: "This enquiry relates to ongoing tribunal proceedings, and as such it would not be appropriate for us to comment at this stage."
The G1 Group were approached for comment.
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