A two-year inquiry into Scotland’s hospitality sector has published its findings and recommendation and wants to see a Fair Work Hospitality Charter developed.

The Scottish Government say they will take time to considering the report and make a decision on how they will follow it after 12 recommendations were made.

They include payment of the real living wage, promotion of real living hours, the provision of written contracts for all workers, tips policies that are clear, fair and in line with legislation, access to paid training and development and supporting workers to understand their rights and entitlements at work.

The inquiry offered a rare opportunity for employers, employees and unions to all be at the same table and share their views on how best to solve problems for the hospitality sector in Scotland.

The group considered the experiences of both employers and workers in fair work terms and conducted additional research on how best to support and influence working practices in a sector like hospitality.

Some of the difficulties that had been raised in the inquiry included low pay, with hospitality offering the lowest median hourly pay of all sectors in Scotland in 2023, a growing use of insecure contracts, the rate of accidents as well as bullying and harassment and a lack of training.

Benefits of hospitality were raised too with the proportion of employees earning above the Real Living Wage rising above 50% while it also offers a more varied work force compared to other sectors in Scotland.

It’s now made their recommendations which also include some to the Scottish Government and the role they can play in adopting fair work practices.

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That includes providing resources that build capacity in the industry such as dedicated fair work coordinators, specific fair work accredited training and funding of pilot projects for new way of work.

They have also called on the Scottish Government to improve funding to support disabled workers and to increase health and safety inspections.

The report also calls for the THILG to create a dedicated rurality sub-group to tackle a range of distinctive issues facing hospitality businesses in rural areas.

Co-Chair of the Inquiry, Linda Johnston said: “While it is undoubtedly a challenging time for hospitality businesses, there is still scope to make progress, and a focus on improving fair work supports better outcomes for workers and employers in the industry.

“This report into Scotland’s hospitality sector shows that when industry leads work together, real, meaningful change is possible, learning from the good practice that already exists in many businesses. The recommendations form a solid basis to ensure that fair work is at the heart of the hospitality industry going forward.”

There will also be support made available for hospitality employers to create a network of senior managers to act as Fair Work Champions and elect ‘Effective Voice Champions’ from amongst their workforces.

It’s hoped this will support the development of innovate workplace solutions to fair work challenges and facilitate the sharing of good fair work practice across the industry.

Employment Minister Tom Arthur has promised that the Scottish Government will continue to work alongside the convention but says they will take their time to respond after careful considering the recommendations.

He said: “The Scottish Government recognises the importance of the Fair Work Hospitality Inquiry and will consider its recommendations before setting out a response in due course.

“The Inquiry has raised awareness of fair work and begun building an industry wide commitment to it.

“We will continue to work with the Convention and the hospitality sector in their effort to ensure workers and businesses benefit from fair work while supporting our vibrant and world-class industry.”

Co-Chair of the Inquiry, Satnam Ner added: “One of the accomplishments of the Fair Work Hospitality Inquiry was bringing employers, workers and unions together to encourage a culture of open communication, leadership support and staff empowerment.

“Delivering our recommendations will lead to a meaningful improvement in working lives of everyone in the hospitality industry.’

Co-Chairs of the Fair Work Convention, Patricia Findlay and Mary Alexander noted: “Once again, we see the benefits of the Convention’s Inquiry process in convening key stakeholders, assessing and building on existing evidence, identifying key challenges and building consensus on next steps.

“We are grateful to both Inquiry Chairs and members for their time, sharing of expertise and constructive engagement, and we are sure they will all continue to champion fair work in hospitality in Scotland.”