Staff urge Glasgow bar to re-instate Real Living Wage

Brel is popular for its hilled beer garden

Staff at a popular Glasgow west end bar and restaurant have had their hourly wages lowered, according to a union.

Workers at Brel will no longer be paid the Real Living Wage of £10.90 an hour before tips.

The Ashton Lane bar is owned by Itison, who disputes claims of a pay cut.

The company said its new pay model of £10.42 an hour - the National Minimum Wage - topped up with a new mandatory service charge was more "sustainable" and would "protect jobs" going forward.

In April, £10.42 became the national minimum hourly wage for people over the age of 23.

• What is the minimum wage and how much is it?

Brel said its front of house team received an average of £13.14 per hour, including tips, from the new pay model between April and June this year.

And it added staff earned £11.50 an hour, including tips, before the change was made.

But workers said the move had forced some staff to make "difficult decisions with living situations and quality of life".

'Tips are not wages'

Employees at Brel disputed the pay change when they were informed of it in March.

One told BBC Scotland: "We've made it clear to the appeal manager that this decision to retract the Real Living Wage has damaged workers financially, as well as damaging the company and its reputation.

"The only real solution can be to reinstate it to ensure that workers feel invested in."

However they said a grievance meeting on Wednesday was "very positive" as staff needed to seek assurances that the company was willing to reconsider its decision.

"Tips should not be considered our wage," they added.

"And tips are not something given to us by the company - it is separate money we earn, optionally given by the customer."

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Another staff member said: "With the cost of living crisis affecting all staff, dropping down to minimum wage has really forced some staff to make difficult decisions with living situations and quality of life.

"I really just hope that Brel decide to support us as much as the customers have during these difficult times and pay us the wage that gives us security."

Bryan Simpson, lead hospitality organiser for Unite Hospitality, said: "Following a productive appeal meeting with Itison's finance controller, we are confident that a clear and unequivocal case has been made (on behalf of 70% of staff) that our members at Brel deserve the Real Living Wage."

But he added an email issued by a director before the meeting had caused "widespread confusion" as it quoted a wage of £13.14, of which £10.42 was paid by the company.

'Substantial increase'

An Itison spokesperson said: "60% of our Brel team are under the age of 23 - and we opt to pay the same rate of pay, even though government guidelines would allow us to pay significantly less.

"These figures represent a substantial increase on take-home at the same time last year and are higher than the current rate of Real Living Wage at £10.90.

"As part of the change in pay structure, amidst well-documented cost increases across the supply chain, we elected to move away from the voluntary Real Living Wage in place of a more sustainable model."

The spokesperson added extensive planning was undertaken before implementing the changes to secure the long-term future of the business and the jobs of Brel's "incredible team."