Home Safe campaign to end ‘grim choice’ faced by late night workers

A new campaign has been launched in a bid to end the “grim choice” faced by bar and restaurant staff retuning home at the end of late night shifts.

The Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) is demanding such workers are provided with transport home by their employers.

It has relaunched its Safe Home campaign, with the demands coinciding with the STUC youth conference in Glasgow this weekend.

In 2022, Glasgow City Council passed a motion requiring all hospitality firms seeking an extended licence to provide safe transport home for late night workers.

But STUC youth committee chairman Fred Bayer said many staff working in pubs, clubs and restaurants are still facing a “grim choice” – often having to chose between spending an “unaffordable” amount on a taxi or walking home because of the “inadequacy” of public transport.

He said: “Young trade unionists are gathering in Glasgow this weekend to call time on workplaces forcing their staff into potentially dangerous and costly situations when seeking just to get to or from their work.

“Late night economy workers face a grim choice. They either fork out an unaffordable amount of their nightly wages on a taxi or, inexplicably, face walking home at night due to the inadequacy of our public transport.

“Employers have a duty of care and we’re calling on them, local authorities and the Scottish Government to stand by workers, ensuring they get safe home from their work.”

STUC general secretary Roz Foyer said the new campaign shows “young people becoming empowered to demand better from their employers”.

She added: “Quite simply, they are demanding to be treated with dignity and not have to be out of pocket or potentially put in danger when travelling to or from their work.

“In a cost-of-living crisis, with endemic low pay for young people, it cannot be right that they are spending fortunes of their wages on taxis home at the end of their shift or, worse still, finding no way home with inadequate public transport.

“This is an immediate demand from our young workers and we need local authorities, Scottish Government and all politicians across the country to hear their voices loud and clear.”