A trade union is threatening to take legal action against Beefeater and Brewers Fayre owner Whitbread over alleged poor consultation on 1,500 planned redundancies this summer.
Unite has written to Whitbread, stating that it could launch employment tribunal claims on behalf of employees who it says have not yet been told which restaurants are expected to close, despite claims that the company has had plans in place since December last year.
In April, Whitbread, which also runs Premier Inn hotels, announced its plans to cut 1,500 jobs. It wants to close 112 restaurants to convert the space into more hotel rooms and sell 126 less profitable restaurants.
Redundancy
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According to a report in the Guardian, Unite – which is not formally recognised by Whitbread – claimed that the 45-day consultation period with those facing redundancy has not been conducted in a “genuine or meaningful way”.
The union also said it had seen no evidence that the company has considered alternatives to redundancy.
Some workers who live in accommodation linked to their role have been told they will receive eviction notices in July and August, Unite claimed.
Staff from the restaurants have also reportedly been offered a less generous payoff than workers in Whitbread’s head office or regional managers.
“The way in which our members have been treated by Whitbread is morally reprehensible and potentially unlawful,” Unite’s lead organiser for the hospitality sector told The Guardian.
“We firmly believe that senior management have known about these redundancies for several months before their workers found out via the media and many don’t even know.
“Despite refusing to answer questions from their workers and their union, the company now wishes to bulldoze through a consultation process which has been neither genuine nor meaningful, with the first terminations happening on 4 July.”
Unite has been contacted by Personnel Today for further comment.
A Whitbread spokesperson said: “We do not accept these allegations. We have a comprehensive and transparent collective consultation process, and are engaging directly with elected representatives and the individuals potentially impacted.
“The consultation process is still ongoing and as part of this we are seeking to find alternative opportunities wherever possible through the roles created by this programme and our existing recruitment process that makes c.15,000 hires each year. We expect to retain a significant proportion of those who wish to remain with us and are providing dedicated support to our teams.”
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