Why Unite wants to call time on long working hours

12th August 2009, 4:35pm

Unite, the union, wants ‘time’ on the excessive hours culture in the UK’s 9,000 managed pubs.

The organisations claims that pub managers who are working up to 70 hours a week have been forced to retire early because of ill-health.

Representing 35,000 members in the brewery and pub industry, Unite has launched the 'pub industry manifesto' to limit the working week of managers to a maximum 48 hour week in line with the European Working Time Directive, and receive a minimum of 25 days annual holiday (in addition to bank holidays).

Jennie Formby, Unite national officer for the hospitality sector, said: "Working excessive hours is the norm in the industry, and pub managers now have the dubious honour of working longer hours than any other group of employees in the UK.

"Working 60-70 hours a week is just not acceptable and the health of our members is suffering. Unite officials have reported a significant increase in cases of retirement due to ill health over recent years as PubCos (a group of pubs owned by a single company) cut costs forcing managers to operate with fewer staff."

Dave Daly, Licensees Unite national committee member, who has represented many managers facing these circumstances, said: "I recently supported a Lancashire couple in taking a case to tribunal over the long hours they were expected to work, using the Working Time Directive regulations, which state you cannot be forced to work longer than 48 hours per week. We won a substantial award for our members and this is just one case out of many."

Formby added: "We believe the only way forward for pub managers and staff is for the PubCos to work with Unite and our members and negotiate on all these important issues.

"There has quite rightly been a strong focus in recent months on the massive problems facing tenants, but we must not forget the many thousands of workers in the 9,000 plus pubs in the UK who need us today more than ever before."

Related Articles:

• 04 Jan 2010 - Pubco tied tenants will ballot for strike action in 2010

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radek

30 August 2009 at 12:53pm

Yes I beleive so. I'm working as senior sous chef. I'm working average hours 48 plus over time means 55 hours a week if i count all chefs over times our company can easily employ one more person. Anyway i think a 48 week is kind of stupid. It's too long for people from catering industry imagine be 14 hours in very hot kitchen/ 55 degree/its slaving to compare working week in Europe.

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