Glasgow nightclub staff sacked over Facebook after pay row

WORKERS at a Glasgow nightclub were sacked over Facebook after walking out when bosses failed to pay thousands of pounds in wages.

Four staff members at Banshee Karaoke Bar and Nightclub claim they are owed nearly £3,700 after only receiving unrequested ‘sub’ payments over the past two months – which do not cover the sum owed.

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A further two workers, let go in January, are still awaiting payment and their P45.

A formal grievance was submitted on behalf of the Banshee workers by 25-year-old duty manager Lauren Nixon two weeks ago, but as yet no formal response has been received by staff.

As a result of the walk out, two members of staff were sacked via social media by the bar’s general manager, Luke Brown.

Lauren Nixon

The Cambridge Street venue, whose majority shareholder is Gerrard McLaughlin, father of Dow’s Bar leaseholder Paul McLaughlin, opened in the same month as payments began to be allegedly withheld.

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As revealed in the Evening Times last month, several employees walked out of Dow’s Bar on New Year’s Eve in a similar row over unpaid wages.

Ms Nixon, who lives in Thornliebank, said: “We all have bills to pay and now we’re are all in a position where we are all really struggling to get by. It is not a comfortable way to live.

“We were told that Gerry (McLaughlin) would deal with this but when we met him he had nothing but excuse after excuse, and wouldn’t even give us our payslips.

“I advised staff as the duty manager not to come in unless they were paid.

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“As a group we felt that we could not work another day with the constant delays of payment.”

The case, which now leaves six workers unsure as to whether they will be paid the wages owed, has now been taken up by Unite Hospitality, after campaign group Better than Zero initially publicised the worker’s plight.

Timesheets seen by the Evening Times show that the six staff are together owed at least £3,683.17, with Ms Nixon herself due in excess of £1,300.

The bar’s other duty manager is owed more than £1,200 in unpaid wages.

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Overall, only 47 per cent of staff wages earned since December having been paid to workers from Banshee.

Bryan Simpson, of Unite Hospitality, said: “Throughout Christmas and New Year, the staff of Banshee on Cambridge Street, Glasgow, worked tirelessly to get a new venue off the ground and made thousands of pounds for their bosses.

“In December they were not paid their full wage. In January they were not paid their full wage. After several failed promises they took a stand with an ultimatum to their boss.

“From Dow’s to Banshee, bar workers are taking a stand and refusing to be exploited. Unite Hospitality will be supporting the workers to get what they are entitled to.”

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After raising concerns at the end of January, the two remaining bar staff were also let go by Mr Brown via Facebook Messenger after letting senior management know they would not be returning to work until they were paid.

In a message to these members of staff, he said: “I’ll make sure you get paid on Monday, however, as you’ve not turned up for your shifts the past two nights you leave me no choice but to let you go. Thanks.”

DAVID McMASTER, 20, one of the staff let go in this way, said: “We were underpaid and it was well under. I wanted to know what was going on and why we had not been paid. Why should I go in if I’m not being paid for my work?

“I’m incredibly annoyed and I just want the money I am owed. They can’t go on like this.”

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The latest firings come after two staff members were sacked in January with no prior warning given and no written confirmation of the sacking.

As well as the unpaid wages, Ms Nixon, along with another member of staff, had been given a promotion which they were told came with a salary of £17,000.

The nearly £3,700 owed to staff does not account for the managerial work that the pair had been doing in the club, which is confirmed by Mr Young in a Facebook conversation with the duty managers.

Ms Nixon added: “There was a feeling that there was no experience at a higher end. “Luke (Brown) the general manager said to us that we should be duty managers and that we would be given a salary of £17,000 with some bonuses as well. “Alarm bells should have went off sooner as we were never given a physical contract or even any payslips.

“All I want is for my staff to get what they are owed.”

She added: “This cannot happen again, so I hope that we can help bring more cases like this forward to stop that.”

The bar’s director and majority shareholder, Gerrard McLaughlin, 65, is also in charge of other Glasgow venues, including The Sly Fox. He opened Banshee late last year with Alex Fleming and Michal Baczak, before appointing Mr Brown as the bar’s general manager.

Mr McLaughlin said: “I have absolutely no comment to make to you on this, absolutely none at all.”

The directors Mr Fleming and Mr Baczak, as well as general manager Mr Brown, were contacted for comment but have not replied.