GMB cancels protest as bombs hit

by John Harrington

Union members abandoned their protest for higher wages for leisure industry staff following the bomb attacks in London last week.

The GMB union, which has 600,000 members across several sectors of the economy, planned to demonstrate outside the British Hospitality Association's annual luncheon, which was held last Thursday in central London.

The union wants better wages for bar staff, kitchen staff, waiters and other poorly-paid workers in the leisure sector.

But the dramatic events in the capital that morning made their protest impossible.

'The demo didn't happen because we couldn't assemble the people, a GMB spokesman said. 'It was meant to be in central London, but with the tube out we couldn't go ahead.

A recent survey by the union found that pub and restaurant staff were among the worst paid workers in Britain. Bar staff were ranked 338 out of 342 in the worst-paid list, earning an average of just £11,094 a year.

Waiters and waitresses fared little better on £11,156. Chefs and cooks were ranked 301 on £15,181.

The spokesman added: 'The sector has to realise that if it's going to have a prosperous society, the sector has to pay decent wages.

He said the health of the whole British economy would suffer if worker's wages in the leisure sector remained low. He said poor wages would 'unilaterally destroy the purchasing power of people in society.

Raj Gill, secretary of the GMB's hotel, catering and leisure branch, said: 'The issue of low pay is top of the bargaining agenda in the hotel, catering and leisure industry. A recent GMB study shows that many hotel and catering and leisure industry jobs come at the bottom of the national earning leagues.

Gill warned employers to increase wages or face action. 'GMB is recruiting these workers and intends to make pay claims designed to move these workers up the earnings league over the next five years. These jobs cannot be moved abroad so the union organisation of these workers is top of the list for GMB.