Restaurant Workers

 

MRCI hears more reports of unfair treatment from migrants working in restaurants than in any other employment sector. The restaurant industry is almost entirely non-unionised, and wages are the lowest of any employment sector in Ireland. The National Employment Rights Authority (NERA) reports that an overwhelming 79% of all catering establishments inspected in 2009 were found to be out of compliance with employment law. We hear of exploitation as extreme as pay rates of €2 per hour, labour in excess of 75 hour weeks, no overtime provisions or rest breaks, and threats of deportation or harm to families in home countries if workers complain.


In 2006, a number of restaurant workers experiencing exploitation began meeting to discuss collective strategies to address industry problems. Workers established the Restaurant Workers Action Group (RWAG) to ensure decent pay, good working conditions, and respect for all restaurant workers in Ireland. We believe that it is possible to run a successful restaurant business while treating workers with dignity and respect. RWAG has been campaigning along with the trade union movement and others to protect minimum pay and conditions for restaurant workers. We have also been raising awareness of exploitation in the restaurant sector by naming and shaming bad employers and are planning to publish a new restaurant survey in 2012 highlighting current conditions for workers in the sector.


Restaurant Workers Action Group asks for responses to its new worker survey January 2012

The Restaurant Workers Action Group (RWAG) is conducting a survey as part of its work to ensure decent pay and conditions for migrant workers employed in restaurants. If you are a migrant employed in a restaurant in Ireland we want to know more about your employment conditions in the restaurant you work in.

We can assure you that this information is held confidentially and your restaurant will not be named. We are doing this survey to get a better picture of conditions for workers in 2012 so we can raise awareness of the problems and work together to create better conditions and to fight exploitation.

CLICK HERE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE SURVEY



RWAG participates in a transnational restaurant workers convening in Toronto, Canada as organised by the Restaurants Opportunities Centre United (ROC)

Enamur Chowdhury a founder member of the RWAG and Helen Lowry RWAG coordinator are to participate in an international convening of restaurant workers as organised by the worker centre organisation based in New York ROC united. The convention will focus on gender discrimination in the restaurant industry as well as ROC's global justice campaign tackling exploitation and poor conditions in restaurants. RWAG have been asked to present their work highlighting the issues facing immigrants employed in restaurants in Ireland and work together globally to improve conditions and fight exploitation.


ROC-United http://rocunited.org/ is the only national organization in the United States dedicated exclusively to the needs of restaurant workers. Despite employing more than 10 million workers and producing more than $1.7 trillion in revenue each year, the United States restaurant industry is less than 1% unionized. Through participatory research and policy work, employer engagement, workplace justice campaigns, membership and leadership development, and more, ROC-United has become a powerful national vehicle for restaurant workers to lift their collective voice on issues affecting all low-wage workers, including the minimum wage, paid sick days, compliance with basic employment standards, and lack of health care.


Restaurant Workers demonstrate at Irish Restaurant Awards Ceremony    Wednesday 25th May

Members of the Restaurant and Catering Workers Forum held a public demonstration at the Annual Irish Restaurant Awards, hosted by the Restaurant Association of Ireland (RAI), to call on the Association to stop its attack on workers' minimum wages and conditions.

 
The RAI is calling for abolishment of the Catering Employment Regulation Order (ERO) and a reduction in minimum wages for workers. EROS exist to ensure minimum standards and conditions for low-paid workers in difficult sectors of employment, and we believe they must be protected.


Outside the awards ceremony, members of the Forum offered gift bags to guests attending the awards, asking fellow chefs, workers and restaurant owners to support their call for fair and decent wages and conditions for restaurant workers. Inside the hotel, members performed a flash mob action to support this message.

Watch restuarant workers' Flash Mob Action on YouTube!


 


Campaign to Defend ERO minimum wages & conditions for restaurant workers

16 March 2011 - Restaurant and Catering Workers Forum Take Action against Fast Food Giants' Attack on Wages 

 The Restaurant and Catering Workers Forum, established by SIPTU and MRCI staged a public protest on 16 March outside Burger King, Supermac's and Eddie Rocket's outlets in O'Connell Street in Dublin's city centre. The fast food chains are part of the Quick Service Food Alliance, an industry group mounting a legal challenge to the JLC (Joint Labour Committee) system which sets minimum wages and conditions for workers in the restaurant and catering industry.  The protest takes place as the Food Alliance's legal challenge is being heard before the High Court.   
 
Although many fast food restaurants saw big profits in Ireland last year, they are joining other restaurants in challenging minimum wage protections for their workers.  For example, Supermac's, a leading member of the alliance, last year reported that pre-tax profits were up 18% to €6.2 million while it added six new outlets in 2010.   Eddie Rocket's last year reported pre-tax profits of €1.5 million.  Restaurant and catering workers are the lowest paid of any sector and, in Ireland, earned 16% less than the EU-15 average in 2008.  Since then average weekly earnings have fallen by 7%. Their average weekly pay is €351 (just half of the national average).  The National Employment Rights Authority (NERA) has reported that an overwhelming 79% of all catering establishments inspected in 2009 were found to be out of compliance with laws governing minimum rates of pay, payment of wages, and related employment protections.





Restaurant and Catering Workers Greet Dáil Politicians with Call to Protect EROs

Wednesday, 9 March, 9.30-12.00
Dáil Éireann, Kildare St, Dublin 2 (front & back entrances)


Workers from the Restaurant and Catering Workers Forum are presenting newly-elected TDs arriving for their first day in office with some breakfast snacks, as they arrive through the entrances of Leinster House this morning.  The Forum is a joint initiative of MRCI's Restaurant Workers Action Group and SIPTU's Hotel Catering Arts Leisure and Entertainment Branch.


This ‘power breakfast’ for TDs' first day in power comes with a message to protect the minimum wages and conditions of restaurant and catering workers, set out in Employment Regulation Orders (EROs), which are now under review.



SIPTU and MRCI initiate a Restaurant and Catering Workers Forum February 2011

The Restaurant and Catering Workers Forum is run by a committee of workers and was set up earlier this year by the Hotel Catering Arts Leisure and Entertainment branch of SIPTU and the Restaurant Workers Action Group of the Migrant Rights Centre Ireland. The Restaurant and Catering Forum is committed to working together to protect working conditions and rates of pay for workers in the sector. Through informing workers about important developments and planning actions the Forum campaigns to ensure decent pay and good working conditions for workers. The Forum welcomes workers in the sector to join the group and become actively involved in campaigns and building worker power. If you are an existing SIPTU member you can join the group by emailing mmannion@siptu.ie If you are currently not a member of a trade union and you are a migrant worker you can get involved by emailing helen@mrci.ie or texting 083 3517956.


RWAG Press Coverage

Liberty (19 Jul 2011) Chasing Conrad Gallagher

Irish Daily Mirror (5 Jul 2011) Worker wins wage battle with chef

The Irish Sun (5 Jul 2011) Worker gets his dough off top chef

The Irish Times (5 Jul 2011) Chef pays €1,467 to ex-employee

Irish Independent (5 Jul 2011) Chef Gallagher serves up to € 1,400 in unpaid wages for waiting waiter

The Star (2 Jul 2011) Conrad told to pay up  

The Irish Times (2 Jul 2011) Gallagher faces picket unless due wages paid

The Irish Sun (2 Jul 2011) Unpaid waiter wages war

The Irish Independent (16 Jun 2011) Struggling cleaners urge State not to give them the brush off

The Irish Times (26 May 2011) Chapter One voted best restaurant for sixth time

Irish Examiner (26 May 2011) Chapter One rewrites recipe for success

Irish Independent (25 May 2011) Protest at proposed bite out of restaurant wages

Business World (25 May 2011) Restaurants slam migrant worker accusation

Irish Examiner (25 May 2011) Restaurant Workers call for JLC wage agreements to be maintained

The Irish Times (17 Mar 2011) Fast - food firms challenge constitutionally of Labour Court - approved pay agreements

Irish Independent (10 Feb 2011) Migrant Workers warn they can't afford cut in pay

The Irish Times (10 Jun 2010) Chapter One wins third award for best restaurant

Irish Examiner (10 Jun 2010) Chapter One turns page on another success

Irish Independent (10 Jun 2010) Tempers boil over as chef boycotts awards

Metro Eireann (6 Jun 2010) Restaurant workers want action over exploitation

The Irish Times (17 Dec 2008) 53% of immigrant restaurant workers earn below minimum wage - report

Irish Daily Mail (17 Dec 2008)  Half of migrants earn below minimum pay

Herald AM (17 Dec 2008) Slaves