A GLASGOW bar and venue has launched an investigation into 'shocking' allegations that staff have been dismissed or had their hours cut after complaining about health and safety failures.
Eleven members of staff from Broadcast on the city’s Sauchiehall Street wrote a letter detailing more than 50 issues related to health and safety, security, pay, contracts, hours of work and holidays on Tuesday, July 8.
Hospitality union Unite said days after the collective grievance was handed over to bosses, signatories were removed from the rota and told they no longer had a job.
The union, Unite said it was "victimisation, pure and simple".
The letter, which Unite said was signed by 75% of staff at Broadcast, “details some of the worst breaches of health and safety” that the union has ever dealt with, including “dangerous” levels of rot and mould.
Broadcast said it was shocked by the allegations and had agreed to meet the union and its members to discuss them in detail.
Pictures: Unite Hospitality. A staff toilet which fell into disrepair
"We have also hired an independent HR (human resources) firm to investigate the issues raised and hope there will be a quick and positive resolution," it said.
"Our staff are at the very heart of our business and we work hard to ensure they feel valued.
"Everyone is paid the living wage of £9.50 per hour as a minimum and is paid on the last Friday of every month without fail."
Paul Cardow, who runs Broadcast, also owns Sneaky Pete’s in Edinburgh as well as popular Glasgow festival Stag and Dagger and gig booker PCL Presents In the letter, staff alleged they “are regularly exposed to dangerous levels of black mould in the office, bar, and toilets”, and claimed maintenance and plumbing issues left staff subjected to “dealing with biohazards such as human faeces”.
Other complaints claim that there is no alarm in the disabled toilet, bouncers do not show up leading to staff dealing with security issues, and there are regular pay inconsistencies and a lack of communication in other financial and contractual areas.
Unite said that the collective grievance demanded action on an array of health and safety issues including the "worst mould and rot we’ve ever seen" as well as failure to provide adequate rest breaks, contracts, holiday and sick pay.
A spokesperson for Unite Hospitality said: "Any decent employer who cares about the welfare of his staff would be falling over themselves to meet with his workforce to seek resolution.
"Instead, a week after receiving a plethora of serious complaints from 75% of staff, the owner of broadcast Paul Cardow has ignored attempts to engage collectively, appointed lawyers and is even terminating signatories."
The ceiling in the staff office in Broadcast
The union said that until Mr Cardow sits down with his workforce, it would be escalating its campaign at Broadcast.
Unite confirmed a member of staff who claimed that they had been sacked after signing the grievance had been reinstated with immediate effect.
It wants a full investigation into health and safety concerns and "improve policies which adhere to the law in relation to health and safety, wages, holidays, contracts and breaks".
It wants all maintenance, repair and cleaning supply issues to be rectified and any future issues to be dealt with prompty by a professional.
It also called for an investigation into understaffing and cleaning capacity issues.
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