Hospitality Industry Inquiry Group

Overview

The Hospitality Inquiry commenced in June 2022 and ran until May 2024

The Hospitality Inquiry considered the experience of fair work in the industry and how this could be improved for the benefit of both employers and workers. Fair Work is defined by the Fair Work Framework.

The Fair Work in Hospitality Inquiry Group was set up to assess relevant evidence, consult appropriate stakeholders, identify key issues and actions, consider feasible interventions, and develop recommendations for Ministers and the industry.

The objectives for the Hospitality Inquiry were:

To consider current worker experience in the sector and the extent of fair work across all five dimensions (Opportunity, Security, Fulfilment, Effective Voice, Respect).
To consider employer experience of employing and managing a workforce and understand the long term aims and ambitions of the sector.
To understand barriers to fair work in the sector whilst also recognising examples of positive fair work and how to replicate this to the wider hospitality sector.
To determine any levers (government and non-government) and other mechanisms for promoting/improving fair work for all employees in the sector, including voluntary agreement.
To develop recommendations for employers, employer bodies, unions, workers, Ministers and other public agencies to deliver fair work in the hospitality sector.
To raise awareness, and promote delivery of fair work amongst employers and employees in the hospitality sector.

Members

The Inquiry Group comprises of representatives from the Fair Work Convention, employers, workers, national bodies engaged in the industry, and trade unions. Led by Co-Founder and Executive Chairperson at Auchrannie Resort, Linda Johnson and Satnam Ner, Prospect and Fair Work Convention, the Convention’s two year inquiry was undertaken by the Fair Work Hospitality Inquiry Group

Co-chair – Linda Johnston	Auchrannie Resort
Co-chair – Satnam Ner	Prospect and Fair Work Convention
Caitlin Alexandria Lee	Hospitality Worker, Glasgow Branch Unite Hospitality
Violeta Andeme	Hotel Worker, Spanish citizen from Equatorial Guinea
Scott Anderson	Heriot-Watt University Student Union - Student Union President
Tom Baum	University of Strathclyde
Carina Contini	Contini Edinburgh
Marc Crothall	The Scottish Tourism Alliance
Lawrence Durden	Skills Development Scotland
Anna Hirvonen	Living Wage Scotland
Mike Jones	Stand Comedy Club
Catherine Jones	Grassmarket Community Project
Susan Martindale	Mitchells and Butlers
Mark McHugh	Bakers Food and Allied Workers Union
Bryan Simpson	Unite Scotland Hospitality
Moira Tasker	Inclusion Scotland
Leon Thompson	UKHospitality
Paul Togneri	Scottish Beer and Pub Association
David Trotter	Sodexo Live!
Chris Wayne-Wills	Crerar Hotels
Tam Wilson	Better than Zero

Members Biographies

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Inquiry sessions by theme

Meeting	Detail	Date
1	Overview of fair work	14 June 2022
2	Precarious and problematic working practices	14 September 2022
3	Skills, training and professional development	15 November 2022
4	Equality, inclusion and diversity challenges	21 February 2023
5	R Rurality and fair work	18 April 2023
6	Business challenges and impact on fair work	13 June 2023
7	Looking forward – long term aims in the hospitality sector	12 September 2023
8	Levers for change	14 November 2023
9	Recommendations / Agree Final Report	19 March 2024
10	Recommendations / Agree Final Report	14 May 2024

The first meeting of the Inquiry considered a literature review exploring the challenges for fair work in the hospitality industry. Alongside this Scottish Government analysts produced a summary of key economic and statistical data to inform the Inquiry, looking at an overview of the hospitality sector in Scotland, as well as highlighting potential business challenges to advancing fair work in the sector.

Each thematic Inquiry meeting then considered an overview of evidence related to each of the themes set out above. This included consideration of an evidence paper, taking evidence from a range of invited speakers, outlined below, and drawing on the expertise and experience of the Inquiry group.

Theme	Invited Speakers
Overview of fair work	The Office of the Chief Economic Adviser (OCEA) in the Scottish Government Professor Tom Baum, Strathclyde University Academic Adviser to the Hospitality Inquiry
Precarious and problematic working practices	Jasmine Rostrom of National Economic Institute of Social Research Laura Robertson, Andy Sharp and Fiona McHardy from The Poverty Alliance ‘Serving the Future’ research Rob Watts and Helen Schwittay McArthur from Strathclyde University. Bryan Simpson, Unite The Union Caitlin Lee, Hospitality Worker and Unite the Union Marc Crothall Scottish Tourism Alliance
Skills, training and professional development	David Cochrane from HIT Scotland Inga McVicar, Springboard Professor Anna Leask, Edinburgh Napier University Jane Carr-Gomm, City of Glasgow College
Equality, inclusion and diversity challenges	Valerie Graham, Whitbread; Janet Tidmarsh, Whitbread; Lynn Campbell, Department of Work and Pensions (DWP); Paweł Kopeć, Citizens Rights Project;
Rurality and fair work	Iain Jurgensen from Portavadie Resort Calum Ross from Loch Melfort Hotel Colin Morrison from Auchrannie Resort Sheena Borthwick, Barry Mochan and Tom Tracy from Arran Development Trust Audrey Maclennan from Highlands and Islands Enterprise Mark Rowley from South of Scotland Enterprise Jonny Inglis, Bethany Sharp, Roisin Curran and Laurence Kenney from Transport Scotland
Business challenges and impact on fair work	Duncan Stewart and Jim Eccleston, 56 Degree Insight Office of Chief Economic Advisor within the Scottish Government.
Looking forward – long term aims in the hospitality sector	Josh Ryan-Saha from Traveltech for Scotland Laura Robertson and Chirsty McFadyen from the Serving the Future Project.
Levers for change	Professor Patricia Findlay Strathclyde Business School Johanna McQuarrie Strathclyde Business School