THE National Union of Students Scotland has partnered with the country’s largest trade union Unite to call for an end to “predatory practices” in the hospitality sector.
The NUS has written to its members encouraging them to sign up to to the Fair Hospitality campaign in an effort to end exploitative work on college and university campuses.
The move comes after it was revealed that 70% of hospitality workers are paid below the living wage and a quarter of workers are on zero-hours contracts.
NUS Scotland president Liam McCabe said: “Student hospitality workers are among the most exploited workers in the country. We are proud that some of our student unions are already committed living wage employers and have robust anti-sexual harassment policies in place. The Unite hospitality campaign, and its Fair Hospitality Charter, can ensure every student union throughout Scotland has the knowledge and collective confidence to radically transform the outlook for our members on campus.”
Unite’s campaign encourages employers to end unpaid trial shifts, pay the real living wage and implement anti-sexual harassment policies.
A 2016 report by the TUC found 67% of women working in hospitality had experienced sexual harassment. Research by the NUS showed one in five students has experienced sexual harassment.
Bryan Simpson, Unite’s hospitality industrial organiser, added: “We hope this will send a message to hospitality employers – if student unions on relatively tight budgets can afford to pay the real living wage and for transport home for staff and still turn a profit then so can they.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here