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Hotel business denies claims of ‘wage theft’

The woman was found within the grounds of Macdonald Aviemore Resort, near a staff accommodation block
The woman was found within the grounds of Macdonald Aviemore Resort, near a staff accommodation block

Macdonald Hotels defended its pay policy last night after union chiefs accused it of “wage theft” in front of MPs at Westminster.

Unite, the UK’s largest union, delivered a scathing attack on “exploitative” practices in Scotland’s hospitality sector.

And it claimed unpaid overtime in hotels is a “massive problem”, with salaried workers at Macdonald Hotels regularly having to work an extra 20 hours a week for nothing.

According to Bryan Simpson, Unite’s officer for the hospitality industry in Scotland, one member of staff at Macdonald’s flagship resort in Aviemore is “owed” more than 500 hours.

A spokeswoman for West Lothian-based Macdonald, which operates 45 hotels throughout the UK, said: “We employ over 4,000 people and all are paid at least the minimum wage.

“We value our employees and if anyone has any specific factual information, we would encourage them to come forward and issues will be rectified accordingly.”

She added: “We remain committed to national minimum wage and also national living wage (NLW) when circumstances allow.”

The NLW was introduced on April 1, 2016, for all working people aged 25 and over, and is currently set at £7.50 an hour.

Workers aged under 25 must be paid at least the national minimum wage which starts at £3.50 per hour for some young apprentices and rises to £7.05 for staff aged from 21 to 24.

A spokesman for Unite said the union was pursuing a “collective grievance” for Scottish hospitality industry workers. The allegations against Macdonald were based on “worker testimony”, he added.

Addressing MPs as part of a House of Commons Scottish affairs select committee inquiry into sustainable employment, Mr Simpson said: “The hospitality sector is one of the lowest paid and most precarious industries for workers.

“Added to that, you have a massive problem of unpaid overtime.

“This is tantamount to wage theft and could be in breach of minimum wage regulations.”