Rail strikes set to cost hospitality staff £15m in tips
It stated that the national tipping market is worth £3bn a year
UK hospitality staff could be set to lose around £15m in tips due to planned rail strikes, according to data from Tipjar.
The RMT is planning industrial action on a number of days in December and January. The news comes as UKH also warned that the hospitality industry could lose over £1.5bn in sales during what is meant to be the busiest weeks of the year.
Tipjar reported an average loss of 17% in tips for hospitality staff on recent train strike days throughout October and November. It stated that the national tipping market is worth £3bn a year.
The company believes that the planned strike action could have a devastating effect on hospitality workers.
James Brown, co-founder of Tipjar and managing director of BrewDog, said: “Arguably the busiest week of the year for the industry, and the first year since Covid with no restrictions – this industrial action could be devastating for those businesses (and their staff) who are hanging on a financial thread.”
Ben Thomas, chief executive and co-founder of Tipjar, added: “The impact that that extra £35/£40 [in tips] has on those that are more vulnerable in our industry is huge. It could be the difference in someone being able to feed their families, or giving their kids presents at Christmas.”
