Ryan FowlerWorkers from Glasgow’s 13th Note have secured a tribunal win against their former employer due to the lack of consultation prior to redundancies made last summer. The tribunal awarded the staff 90 days’ pay, which is the maximum protective award.
The closure of the well-known music venue in July 2023 occurred shortly after employees took part in significant strike action, the first for bar workers in Scotland in over 20 years. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham stated: “Unite is pleased the workers at 13th Note have won their tribunal against their former employer after they were made redundant last year with absolutely no consultation.”
The tribunal’s decision comes after the venue’s unexpected shutdown and the employer’s failure to engage in constructive dialogue with Unite representatives, even disregarding a planned meeting with the conciliation service ACAS.
Bryan Simpson, Unite’s lead organiser for hospitality, emphasized the case’s impact: “Let this serve as a warning to unscrupulous hospitality employers everywhere; your workers will win justice and Unite will have their back.”
Following the victory, the workers, with Unite’s support, aim to take over the lease of the 13th Note to reopen it, hoping to establish a fair and respectful working environment. Nick Troy, lead Unite representative at 13th Note, shared: “With justice served, we can now turn our focus onto taking the venue back into workers’ hands so that Glasgow has a unionised bar and music venue that pays and treats its workers with respect.”
