Corbyn pledges law to let staff keep 100% of their tips

Jeremy Corbyn is to pledge that a Labour government would make it illegal for employers to pocket any tips given to hospitality workers.

In a speech to the Bakers Union on Sunday, the leader of the Labour Party will say: "Tips should be kept by the staff who earn them, not employers.

"It's not fair or right that in businesses across the country, hardworking hospitality workers have had their tips pocketed by their bosses under the guise of bogus admin fees, or to cover breakages, till shortages or customer walkouts.

"Labour will make it illegal for rogue employers to make deductions from tips, so staff get to keep 100%, and customers know who their money is going to."

The party says, if elected to government, it would ban businesses from taking a cut of any tips paid via card, as well as charging waiters to work and keeping "optional" service charges.

In the package of policies the party would make law if elected to government to support hospitality workers are some strengthening anti-sexual harassment laws.

The party is describing these as a "#MeToo workplace revolution", citing a survey by union Unite which found 89% of workers had experienced sexual harassment, while 77% said their workplace either did not have a policy to tackle this or they did not know about it.

Mr Corbyn is to say that Labour would prevent employers from using contractual clauses (NDAs) which stop disclosure of future discrimination, harassment or victimisation.

They would also double the time-frame within which employment tribunals can be taken, and require employers to publish their sexual harassment policy publicly, alongside the steps they are taking to implement it.

"Sexual harassment is a scourge in our society. Without proper rights, contracts and union representation, hospitality staff are at greater risk of being harassed and abused in their workplace," he will say.

"Labour will bring about a workplace rights revolution, so people are free to do their jobs, in the hospitality sector and beyond, without facing unacceptable behaviour and abuses of power from colleagues, clients or customers."

This will come in addition to 2017 manifesto policies proposing a "real living wage" of £10 per hour for all workers regardless of their age by 2020.