'It's unfair': Young Glasgow workers revolt over wage discrimination

Glasgow Times

4 days ago

Those striking outside the Village Hotel in Glasgow over pay disparity have told our sister title The Herald they have had to sacrifice moving out of their family home and their social lives due to 'discriminatory' age band wage rates.
Shona Thomson, aged 20, and Shakeira Nyumba, aged 18, work as part of the food and beverage team at the Village Hotel in Glasgow
Both of the young women earn £10.42 an hour and are currently striking to demand fairer pay.
The UK's Minimum Wage (the 'National Living Wage') laws still allow workers to be paid less based on their age, even if their job, skills, and experience match those of colleagues.
While the minimum wage for workers over 21 is £12.21, it is £10 for workers aged 18-20 and £7.55 for workers aged 16 and 17.
Speaking from the picket line, Ms Thomson said: "We found out a while ago that Edinburgh workers [at the Village] who are under 21, were getting £11.44 and, not only that, over 21s that work in the same Village branch as us were getting £12.60 to do the exact same job.
'Our main priority is just to receive equal pay across the board. I feel like I'm not being paid what I'm worth and I'm doing the exact same job as older colleagues.
'We work really hard and sometimes harder than people who are older than 21 and it seems a bit unfair for doing the exact same thing and getting paid less,' she said.
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Shona currently attends a private college and finds that the majority of her earnings are spent on her education.
The 20-year-old said: 'I do receive help from student funding and things like that but that's got to be paid back eventually so overall having a low wage is obviously not great for having to do that."
She also explained that she had to move back home with her parents as she could no longer afford the cost of a flat with her friend.
Ms Thomson said: 'I also had to pay rent for a while on my own so it ate into that. It sounds as if it's not a massive amount of money we are asking for, but, at the end of the month, it could make all the difference."
The 20-year-old also said she has to factor in other monthly payments she has to make such as car and fuel money and the cost of living.
'All that becomes so much more difficult because I'm on such a low wage,' she said.
'All my money it isn't spent on luxury things. At the end of the month, all my money is already gone.
"Things like going out with my friends, normal things that a twenty year old should be doing, is difficult money-wise," she added.
Living with her family in Glasgow, 18-year-old Shakiera Nyumba is about to start university.
However, she is unable to move out as she cannot afford student accommodation due to her low wage.
"I have quite a big family so it's hard to have my own space," she told The Herald, "During exam season, it's hard to study alone so my plan was to move out when I get into Uni but I now can't do that financially because I don't get much money from the Village."
'I'm starting my driving lessons and that's another cost I need to consider. It's just a lot and I don't get much at all from my job,' said Ms Nyumba.
Their strike action comes after trade union Unite members returned an overwhelming mandate for industrial action when 100 per cent voted yes to strike action on an 81 per cent turnout last month.
Lindsay Southward, Group Director of Operations & People at Village Hotels said: "We are proud of our track record as an employer and offer our team a highly competitive package that includes significant benefits and incentives, contributing to our market-leading employee satisfaction and engagement scores.
"This commitment to our team is also reflected in the fact that only a small percentage of employees in Glasgow have opted to strike."
A new report from the Scottish Trades Union Congress found that two thirds of young people are racking up thousands of pounds in debt due to low youth wage rates.
Out of the 198 young workers surveyed between May and June this year, only 46% said they could always afford the basics in life, such as food, transport and bills.
In July last year, Keir Starmer's Labour government committed to removing "discriminatory age bands for adults", however, the UK Government has not yet put a date on when these age bands will be removed.
Both women have zero hour contracts which they said creates more wage instability.
Ms Myumba says she does not get many shifts at the Village which means her monthly salary holds her back from going out with friends.
'It's hard to have a social life,' Ms Nyumba said, "I could say I'm free the full week, they could give me nothing but then if I say I do have something planned they will put me on rota."
Ms Thomson shares the same frustration, particularly when it comes to short notice on shift availability.
'It's on a weekly basis that we even get shifts," Ms Thomson explained, "I know with me being in college I can only work one day during the week so normally it's only a five hour six hour shift a week.
'It's also frustrating because when I'm able to work more, like during Summer for example, I know I went three weeks without working a single shift when I know this is the time that I need to be working and building up money when I'm not in college.'
There are currently 30,000 employees aged 16-17 and 280,000 employees aged 18-24 in Scotland. The report states that these workers are disproportionately likely to be on low pay as more than a third of employees (36.2%) aged 18-24 in Scotland were paid less than the real Living Wage in 2024, compared to less than 1 in 10 in all other age groups.
Those aged 18-20 currently earn less than 82% of the national minimum wage, while 16–17-year-olds currently earn less than 62% of the national minimum wage.
In April this year, the minimum wage for over 21s rose by 6.7% from £11.44 to £12.21.
The minimum rate for apprentices and workers under 18 also went up by 18% from £6.40 to £7.55. For 18–20-year-olds the rate went up 16.2% from £8.60 to £10.
The report argues that whilst this marks progress, these rates are 'clearly still short of the rates for older workers'.
Asked what they would like to see change, Ms Thomson said: "I'd just like fair treatment in the work place. The equal pay mainly affects young women in our branch as well."
25-year-old Josh Morris is a healthcare worker and a former STUC Youth Committee Chair.
He told of his own difficult experience of low pay and being on zero hour contracts.
Mr Morris said: "It is quite precarious. In the past, I've worked 70-80 hours per week and you didn't know what shifts you are working and the pay was low.
"I've had to work between three different jobs to get my wage up to something I could live on and get by on as you don't know what the next week holds," he said, "It's really difficult to plan your life."
The 25-year-old worker would like to see the Labour government stick to their promise of abolishing age band rates as well as further action on improving workers' contracts.
He said: "They should go by the simple principle of same rate of pay for the same work. I'd also like to see a recommitment to the abolition of zero hour contracts. I think we have seen a softening of that.
"Us in the trade union movement would say any zero hour contract is exploitative so I think we are still waiting to see what the government says on this," he said.
The UK Government has said it is taking steps to address issues with zero-hour contracts, specifically focusing on ending "one-sided flexibility".
They are proposing measures such as guaranteeing hours for those who work regular shifts and ensuring reasonable notice for shift changes.
Minister have also said the remit for the Low Pay Commission to remove age wage bands "will drive forward the Government's commitment to delivering a single adult pay band."
The commission will consult with employers, trade unions and workers to "narrow the gap" between the 18–20-year-old rate of the National Minimum Wage and the National Living Wage and "will put forward recommendations on achieving a single adult rate in the years ahead."
Recommendations are made by the LPC each October – for minimum wage rates to apply from the following April.