A petition to support the hospitality industry by granting EU nationals a special two-year working visas has gained more than 13,000 signatures in the past week.
The organisers have called on The Government to create a visa that will enable hospitality professionals from EU countries to work in the UK hospitality industry for up to two years. Given the number of signatures, The Government will have to respond. Furthermore, if the campaign receives more than 100,000 signatures the appeal will be considered for debate in Parliament.
If successful, the results – they say – would be like the Seasonal Work Visas currently offered by the UK government. These allow eligible EU nationals to come to the UK to do farm work for up to six months. The scheme allows approximately 40,000 temporary migrants to do work in the horticultural and poultry sectors in the UK, with each person requiring a UK sponsor.
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The Isle of Man already offers a nine-month hospitality visa, enabling workers from outside the UK and Ireland to fill job vacancies on the island that cannot be filled by a settled worker.
Chefs and restaurant managers are currently eligible to work in the UK with a skilled worker visa, but this is not a route available to floor staff and many other members of the teams.
The coronavirus pandemic and changes to visa rules post-Brexit has resulted in significant staff shortages in the hospitality industry as many EU workers have left the UK. A survey conducted by caterer.com estimated there are 120,000 less EU workers in UK hospitality than before the pandemic.
Many UK nationals have also left the hospitality industry following the pandemic, with time away from the sector on furlough encouraging many to re-evaluate their work-life balance. The long, antisocial working hours and often modest pay have also done little to lure workers back to the industry.
The Government has previously rejected calls for a COVID-19 hospitality visa, although the new petition for this ongoing issue may prompt new discussions.
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While many have welcomed the idea of a change in regulations which has the potential to fill more vacancies, some have criticised the idea, accusing the UK of wanting to “wage dump” lower page jobs onto migrant workers. Chef John Wilmshurst commented on an Instagram post shared by Actually Good Chef Jobs, saying: “Restaurants and the hospitality industry have far too long been exploiting workers for terrible pay and long hours.” Another user added, “Why should Europeans be uprooted to come and serve UK citizens their food? Stop supporting unsustainable economics.”
The rebuttal is of course that there are many UK businesses who are trying to readdress hospitality’s previous failings, by paying fair living wages, offering balanced shifts, and supporting their teams mental and physical well-being. Once such organisation is Service Included, which was set up by a collective of chef-owners. Their restaurants – which include places like Leroy, Brawn and Mana – have removed the much-expected service charge. It has been replaced with a note in most cases explaining that instead of having their teams rely on tips, their prices are inclusive and as such can offer staff a consistent payslip, a fairer wage and more stability.
Want to sign the petition? You can do that here.
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