UNITE Restaurant, Catering and Bar workers have reported that Carluccio's are the latest high street chain to have been caught trying to pinch money from their own low paid staff.
Last year Carluccio's were forced to bring in chief bean counters KPMG to take a look at how to make the business more profitable - surely they could have found a better way of doing that than taking tips off of their own (not very well paid) staff.
UNITE report that many staff are now walking out over the matter and those that are staying are unionising and organising themselves for better working conditions.
The Glass Door website where staff can rate where they work paints working at Carluccio's as a stressful place to work with long hours and few incentives - "poor management" is a frequently found term.
There was an outcry in 2015 when it emerged that keeping staff tips was a common practice throughout high street chains. Despite this and despite (then Business Minister) Sajid Javid's statement that all tips should go to staff and promised proposals to that effect, no legislation made and nothing really changed.
The accusation being made specifically relates to tips that are paid to staff by customers using cards, other than cash, are being ciphoned off by the company.
The Carluccio's chain was started in 1999 and by 2008 was valued at around £90m. They currently have a restaurant in Jubilee Street, Brighton.
If you work at Carluccio's or any other restaurant or bar consider joining the UNITE Restaurant, Catering & Bar Union.
If you do eat at Carluccio's please remember to tip staff in cash becuase it would appear that perhaps Carluccio's cannot be trusted not to try to pocket the money themselves.
