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Wimbledon caterers paid same hourly rate for night shifts as day

Caterers at Wimbledon tennis championships are being paid the same hourly rate for night shifts as day shifts by catering company Compass Group, it has emerged.

The caterer’s wages are below the London Living Wage at £8 per hour it was discovered by The Guardian. It is not illegal to pay workers under the living wage or the same wages for night shifts.

GMB trade union officer Roger Jenkins said catering workers deserved to be paid more but employers have been forced to squeeze margins. Jenkins warned that Wimbledon would “pay” for employing the cheapest caterers in quality of service. He said: “The money sloshing around world-famous events like Wimbledon is astonishing. At major events like Wimbledon it’s like a race to the bottom on pay.

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“Anyone putting in for these contracts, they know if they pay a decent wage a competitor will come in and undercut them. It’s a real problem.”

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As many as 1,800 people are employed by Compass Group at Wimbledon, making it the largest sports catering operation in Europe. A spokesperson said: “We value our people and pay our colleagues fair market rates for roles. In some situations, we do offer uplifted pay for night shift workers at Wimbledon depending on the job they are doing.”

An All England Club spokesperson, said: “Each year the AELTC meets with each of its major contractors to take their advice and agree on rates for the upcoming championships, which are appropriate to their industries and the requirements of the role, including shift rotations and rest days.”

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