Employment Minister Regina Doherty is talking tough on tips theft and is promising to crack down on bosses keeping them.
The Fine Gael politician revealed she has secured Government backing for new legislation that will ban employers from keeping the extra cash or trying to include it in wages.
It follows a Private Members’ Bill from Sinn Fein’s Maurice Quinlivan on the same subject earlier this year which the Government said it couldn’t back because it wasn’t legally watertight.
Ms Doherty now intends to fast-track her Bill which will tackle rogue bosses.
Company policy on the division of tips will have to be displayed and they cannot be part of a pay packet anymore.
Ms Doherty said: “It has become clear over the past number of months that in a minority of establishments, workers are not being treated fairly with regard to tips.
“As I said previously, I will not tolerate this on my watch and now, having received approval from Government, I look forward to introducing measures which will improve the situation and, crucially, have a sound legal basis.”
The minister said under the new legislation she intended to amend the existing Payment Of Wages Act to ensure tips could not be used to make-up wages.
The new legislation will make bosses “clearly display, for the benefit of workers and customers, their policy on how tips, gratuities and service charges are distributed. I am determined to always stand up for fairness and the employment rights of low-paid and precarious workers.
“I made significant progress in this regard with the Employment Act 2018 which restricted zero hours contracts and introduced banded hours contracts.”
Meanwhile, Mr Quinlivan has slammed the new Bill as “weak and worthless”.
He said: “Today minister Doherty announced she has received approval from the Government on the Heads of a Bill which she thinks will address the problem of tips that are stolen from workers.
“Unfortunately, what has been announced today is a proposal to bring forward weak and worthless legislation, which will be of no help to workers.
“Sinn Fein have no intention of accepting this toothless proposal from the Minister, and we will continue to fight for our bill to move forward. Tips theft is widespread, and it must be stamped out.”
