LOW-PAID staff at a five star Scots hotel and resort have secured £138,000 in 'withheld' tips after raising a collective grievance on missing out on payments made by credit and debit cards.
The union Unite say their campaign has resulted in around 200 Cameron House bar and restaurant staff getting reimbursed Unite said that Cameron House agreed to hand back the huge sum, made up of deducted service charges withheld since January this year.
They say that from now on all service charges and card tips, worth around £70,000 a month, will be "shared fairly" amongst staff.
Around 60 workers were initially said to have raised their concerns in the dispute at the upmarket venue where a bottle of wine can cost up to £1,200.
But the hotel's owners insist 100 per cent of tips are paid to staff.
The union had said the Cameron House practices include withholding 100% of all card tips which are not distributed until the end of the year.
It said the hotel added a 10% service charge in January without any consultation.
Of that, 15 per cent was kept by the hotel for "self-funded Christmas presents" for all staff.
And ever since, bar and restaurant staff have found that they are now between £200 and £300 pounds a month worse off.
Unite also alleged the service charge was being used to subsidise promised income of salaried staff.
And they claimed all tips on cards were kept until the end of the year, meaning staff who leave the company lose out.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Unite’s Cameron House members took on the company’s unfair tipping practices and won substantial improvements to their earnings. This is yet another example of how Unite’s total focus on improving jobs, pay and conditions is resulting in real wins which puts real money in member’s pay packets.”
Unite said that changes were made to Cameron House’s tipping and service charge policy after workers won the right to a staff tipping committee.
The committee then investigated exactly how the company was distributing tips and service charges and compelled it to introduce a fairer system and return the withheld cash.
Unite Hospitality organiser Bryan Simpson said: “Legislation to ensure that hospitality workers receive fair tips is much needed and long overdue. But this result shows that workers do not have to wait for politicians. By acting collectively and organising a tipping committee, Unite’s Cameron House members took back what was theirs and demonstrated to hospitality workers across the UK that they can do it too.”
Cameron House previously insisted the service charge was not new and credit card gratuities were normally paid at the end of the year.
They admitted some changes were made in January which have formed part of the grievance discussions.
They say credit card gratuities have historically been distributed to the entire team at the end of the year, however added that staff feedback would play a part in the overall solution.
Julie Nixon, Cameron House assistant sommelier and Unite hospitality rep, said: “Our tips are the difference between us being able to make ends meet on a minimum wage job and not. We are delighted that Cameron House has finally seen sense and facilitated the establishment of a democratically elected tips committee.
“Fair tips legislation is sorely needed in our industry but while it has long-been promised, it’s never been delivered. In the meantime, Unite members, workers like us, will continue to stand together to demand what we deserve.”
A spokesman for Cameron House Resort said: “Cameron House has always distributed all service charges and gratuities to eligible staff.
"We’re delighted that, after a democratic vote, our valued team members have agreed a new distribution model with the primary modification being that the portion of these monies that historically had been paid annually will now be paid monthly.
“We are committed to always doing what is right and will continue to listen to our team members and continue to collaborate with them on making Cameron House truly exceptional.”
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