WORKERS at a Taco Bell in Glasgow have joined a union over “unacceptable” and “unlawful” working conditions – claiming they were “mistreated” by senior management.
Staff at Taco Bell’s Argyll Street branch have claimed that poor and unsanitary work conditions, including having no access to hot water or proper working bathrooms, have led to them joining a hospitality union.
Workers at the fast-food chain said they decided to unionise after they were told they had to work during Storm Eowyn last month despite a red weather warning being issued by the Met Office.
Both Police Scotland and the Scottish Government also urged people to stay at home following the “danger to life” warning from the forecaster.
Caine, who has worked at the Glasgow branch for more than two years, claimed the conditions he and his fellow colleagues had been enduring had been “declining for some time” and that senior management had a “total disregard” for their health and safety.
He added that being told to come in during a red weather warning was the catalyst for the workers to join Unite the Union as it was the “straw which broke the camel's back”.
Caine said he had seen posts on Unite’s social media about workers being forced to work during the storm and for them to contact the union to help them understand their rights – and within six hours the group had successfully formed their own union.
“It feels great now to be pushing back against it, to have someone behind us and validate our concerns,” Caine told The National.
“Before it was crushing, it was like gaslighting, as we had all these issues going on and they refused to hear us out.
“They belittled us, made it sound like somehow we had the issue with it all and that it was no big deal when we know it is a big deal.
“We had all been worn down so much by it, so now it feels good to be pushing back for sure.”
Caine claimed that some staff who didn’t go in because of the red weather warning had been told they wouldn’t be paid, while others were told they would have to use a holiday day to cover their absence.
He said that due to their contracts Taco Bell had deemed they hadn’t given enough notice that they were not attending their shifts.
Chloe, another employee at the Glasgow branch, told The National that along with no running hot water in the building, staff couldn’t use the bathrooms due to various issues including flooding, no working locks on the doors, and the dispensers for soap and toilet roll being “smashed up”.
She also claimed that staff have been experiencing problems with their pay, with either it not being the correct amount or in some cases not even being paid at all.
“I think we're all just kind of fed up with it now and we just want something done,” Chloe said.
“I think a lot of us were quite scared to do it [join a union] because obviously you hear about people getting sacked or whatever and with the way we've been treated already we kind of thought that it was quite possible for them to do that.”
Chloe stressed that no one had been sacked for joining the union.
She added: “I think a lot of us are feeling quite confident now to know that something will get done.”
Chloe and Caine both said that despite submitting formal complaints to senior management about the breaches of health and safety within their workplace, they are yet to get a reply from Taco Bell acknowledging their concerns.
Unite said the group had sent a formal collective grievance over three weeks ago and have yet to hear back from the fast-food chain about a date to meet their representatives.
Lead organiser of Unite Hospitality Bryan Simpson said: “The way in which workers at Taco Bell, Glasgow have been treated is morally unacceptable and almost certainly unlawful.
“For an international brand to be leaving workers without hot water and with unsanitary conditions is a clear breach of the Health & Safety at Work Act not to mention a serious environmental health risk for customers.
“Our members (who represent the vast majority of the workforce) have submitted a formal collective grievance over three weeks ago and we still don't even have a date from the company to meet.
“Owners and senior managers need to stop burying their heads in the sand and negotiate with our members (their workers) to resolve these issues, for the sake of workers, customers and their own brand reputation!”
Caine said he is hopeful that now the branch has unionised upper management at Taco Bell will take their requests seriously and make real changes in the workplace and not just make “quick sticky plaster” fixes.
He added he would “love” for other fast food workers to see this as a sign to stand up for themselves and to “fight back” in order to gain the basic rights and respect they deserve.
“The industry has such a high turnaround, and it's viewed so poorly,” Caine said.
“It is expected that we will just kind of deal with it but we can fight back and get something done with all this.
“The more of us there is, the more we can do.”
A spokesperson for Taco Bell said: “The safety and well-being of team members is our top priority at Taco Bell.
“The franchise owner and operator of this location is currently looking into and working to address any team member concerns.”
