Belfast bars, restaurants and cafes making new staff work unpaid shifts are being accused of “wage theft”.

Unite the union said they have been made aware of a number of businesses where “unscrupulous bosses” are exploiting young workers.

They include a bar group “which expects new applicants to work two or three shifts unpaid”, a coffee business where an experienced barista was ghosted after asking about pay for the shifts they worked and a city centre restaurant that made a union member “work an unpaid trial shift” where the owner claimed he was too busy to observe how they performed and suggested another four hours the following day.

Neil Moore, Unite the union’s Hospitality Organiser in Northern Ireland, said: “The issue of unpaid shifts is not confined to the hospitality sector - but this is where it is most prevalent.

“Reports from our members suggest the practice is becoming rampant right across the industry: from hotels to coffee shops, restaurants to bars – from the small family run businesses right up to multinational, highly profitable chains."

“It’s not just the case of an unpaid trial shift but often multiple shifts,” he added.

“In some cases, ‘unpaid shifts’ appear to be part of the business model being used to cover staff absence or ensure additional staff for busy periods.

“It is a basic principle that anyone doing a fair day’s work should receive a fair day’s pay.

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“What is happening here in most cases is wage theft – pure and simple - and it is being done on an industrial scale.

“A study by Middlesex University last year estimated the practice allowed bosses to benefit to the tune of around £3billion a year across the UK.”

Mr Moore said complaints about the practice to his union have risen six-fold in the past three years, with between 15 to 20 hospitality workers now raising it each week.

“Unfortunately while it was up and running the Northern Ireland Executive failed to use its powers to do anything about this practice and a Westminster bill to outlaw unpaid shifts was blocked by the Tories last year, despite having the backing of Labour and SNP,” he added.

“The best protection against these sort of exploitative practices is to join a trade union and to get organised”, Mr Moore said.

Colin Neill, Chief Executive of Hospitality Ulster, said: “This practice is not commonplace in our industry.

“It is possible that a shift for a chef, for example, may form part of an interview process, but a day’s works should deserve a day’s pay.”

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