Support for Hospitality Workers
- Submitted by: Lorna Slater, Lothian, Scottish Green Party.
- Date lodged: Monday, 02 August 2021
- Motion reference: S6M-00789
That the Parliament notes what it considers concerning reports from the Unite trade union, which warns of a “sharp increase of verbal and physical abuse from customers” against hospitality workers; believes that low pay and insecure working conditions were endemic in the hospitality industry prior to the COVID-19 pandemic; understands that many hospitality workers are young workers; notes the recent Resolution Foundation study that found that, at the end of May 2021, 18- to 24-year-olds were 2.5 times more likely than any other age group to have been out of work or still on furlough, and that more than one in four 18- to 24-year-olds said that they were concerned about finding a job in future due to mental health issues; further notes the calls for investment in retraining and mental health services, as well as long-term plans to improve incomes and job stability as part of a new approach to hospitality, and believes that the calls from Unite for extra security for busy venues and proactive anti-sexual harassment policies should be adopted.
Supported by:
Maggie Chapman, Foysol Choudhury, Katy Clark, Alex Cole-Hamilton, Pam Duncan-Glancy, Patrick Harvie, Monica Lennon (Registered interest)
, Gillian Mackay, Carol Mochan, Paul O'Kane, Alex Rowley, Colin Smyth, Paul Sweeney, Mercedes Villalba (Registered interest)