PARLIAMENTARY EARLY DAY MOTION
Pizza Express tips policy (27 October 2021)

This House is alarmed to hear that front-of-house staff at Pizza Express have seen a sizeable cut to their income since May 17 2021, the day restaurants reopened after lockdown; notes that the 30 per cent previously deducted from waiting staff tips for kitchen staff was increased to 50 per cent on this date; further notes that kitchen staff are on higher basic pay rates and get more guaranteed hours than waiting staff, while the back-of-house team is also significantly smaller than the front-of-house team at Pizza Express restaurants; believes this change has had a punitive effect on waiting staff – who are disproportionately female – as tips represent a significant proportion of their take-home pay; is concerned that this deduction is being used to boost the wages of kitchen staff by depriving minimum-wage waiting staff of their fair share of tips; is further concerned that staff were not properly consulted about this change; and calls on the Government to urge the company's management to negotiate in good faith with Unite the union to resolve the concerns of its members at Pizza Express.

Sponsored by:
Grahame Morris (Labour)