Unite, the union for hospitality workers, has responded to Premier Inn owner Whitbread's full year results.

The firm has recorded its second-biggest pre-tax profit of the last five years, after continual profit throughout the past 15 years apart from in 2021, during the Covid pandemic.

However, Unite members at Whitbread have struggled with low pay, with the company refusing to pay the real living wage of £12.60 and £13.85 in London despite Unite and others pressing them to make this commitment.  

Over the past year, Whitbread has moved some customer service jobs to Egypt and suggested to employees that they may want to relocate there to keep their jobs, as well as offshored some finance jobs to India and there have been growing problems with short-staffing across its operations.

Unite members have repeatedly raised concerns with managers and say these are ignored, while managers themselves are under pressure to deliver unachievable targets at the expense of customer service and other members of staff.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "The firm's obsession with profit short changes customers and Whitbread’s workers. From outsourcing customer services and sending finance jobs offshore to refusing to pay its staff the real living wage, it is clear Whitbread is not putting workers or customers first. They must end this short-term pursuit of profit."

Unite national officer, service industries sector Colenzo Jarrett-Thorpe said: "Unite members at Whitbread continually bring up issues, such as short staffing and staff being under pressure to deliver unachievable targets at the expense of customer service.

"Despite Whitbread being profitable, this not just comes at the expense of having a happy, well-paid workforce but also runs the risk of leaving customers disappointed with their experience."

ENDS