Workers in Inverness are among those taking a stand against what they call exploitation at the hands of Pizza Hut franchise owner Glenshire Brands.
Delivery drivers, cooks and cleaners across Scotland – including those in the Highland capital – are accusing their employer of wage theft, unpaid breaks and slashing conditions without warning.
The tipping point came earlier this month when drivers were told their longstanding delivery commission of £1.45 per order was being scrapped without consultation.
For many, this payment added up to £80 per week and had been part of their pay package for over 15 years.
Now, drivers are being told they must either accept the cut or switch to a ‘self-employed’ model offering just £30 for an 8-hour shift plus £3 per delivery.
Unite the union says these changes could cost some workers thousands of pounds a year.
Drivers using their own vehicles are not being paid for fuel or maintenance, with many now earning less than the legal minimum wage after expenses.
Inverness staff are also affected by new rules on leave and breaks, with workers now blocked from carrying over unused holiday and being denied pay for leave already submitted.
Rest breaks are being retrospectively deducted from wages – even if they were never taken.
On top of that, meal allowances and staff discounts have been axed, removing vital support for low-paid employees.
Unite has branded these changes a “systematic attack” on around 200 workers across 23 Pizza Hut takeaway outlets in Scotland.
A protest is planned today outside the Leith store in Edinburgh, with union leaders vowing to fight back against what they call “rogue employer” tactics.
Sharon Graham, Unite’s general secretary, said Inverness and other Scottish workers are being subjected to a “full-on assault” on their rights and earnings.
She stressed that Unite is determined to hold Glenshire Brands to account.
A collective grievance has now been filed by workers in response to the loss of commission and other contractual issues.
Bryan Simpson, Unite’s hospitality lead, warned that this may be an attempt to force vulnerable staff into bogus self-employment.
He called the company’s actions “morally reprehensible and almost certainly illegal.”
Simpson added that Unite will support workers through legal, industrial and political routes to stop further erosion of workers’ rights.
The Inverness outlet is one of 23 Pizza Hut stores affected by these decisions, stretching from the Highlands to Glasgow and beyond.
Glenshire Brands took over these stores in 2022 and now faces growing pressure to reverse its controversial policies.
