Owners of a popular Glasgow bar have been ordered to pay staff thousands of pounds in unpaid wages.
Staff at Blue Dog on West George Street and Ad Lib on Hope Street had their furlough payments stopped without warning in October 2020.
Owners Alan Tomkins and Billy McAneney said at the time they had been paying staff from their own pocket and could no longer afford to do so.
But it was later found that they had been using different payroll outsourcing firms to file credits to the tax accounts of employees but the firms had collapsed without handing over the cash to HMRC.
They were then locked out of the furlough scheme due to tax irregularities.
Hundreds of workers were unable to apply for benefits due to still appearing as on furlough by HMRC and were left struggling to pay bills or buy essentials.
One barman said he was 'fighting tooth and nail' to stay afloat during the incredibly stressful time.
Those affected launched a campaign to get back the money they were owed with the support of Unite Hospitality and local MSPs including Alison Thewliss, Stewart McDonald, and Chris Stephens.
Eleven staff have now secured a victory after taking their employers to a tribunal, that ruled the company had made 'unauthorised deductions from wages' between November 2020 and June 2021.
They have now been ordered to repay staff for the deductions with the amount totalling over £8,000.
Tomkins and McAneney didn't attend the hearing that took place over a video conference on March 7.
Bryan Simpson, industrial organiser with Unite Hospitality, said: "We are delighted that the tribunal court has found in favour of our members who were unlawfully deducted wages during the pandemic ordering the owners to pay thousands to staff.”
“This Judgement should be a message to all unscrupulous hospitality employers that their workers are now unionising and they will be held to account.”
While legal action was undertaken, a fundraiser was launched to help staff with the likes of Deacon Blue singer Ricky Ross and Michelle McManus sharing it with followers. A total of £6,456 was raised.
