UPDATE: Pusser’s workers upset over removal of service charge
Last week Monday April 27, 2015, a contingent of workers took their complaints to the Labour Department for its intervention. This news site understands there was a meeting involving the Labour Department, the employees and the employer.
Speaking to this news site yesterday, many employees, mainly females, described what is happening at the business as unfair and called on the Labour Department to intervene.
Not wanting their names published, the women said they find it hard to pay bills, alleging that without the service charge it is hard for them to meet their financial obligations with just the minimum wage they collect.
They feel aggrieved that they have to work in difficult conditions and “make miracles happen” to please customers of the establishment.
Withdrawal of service charge
Contacted today May 5, 2015, Pusser’s owner Charles S. Tobias told this news site that he said what he had to say to the Labour Department and that’s the end of the matter for him.
Asked whether it is true the service charge had been withdrawn, he said, “Yes, that’s true…the mandatory service charge has been withdrawn.” However he said the employees still benefit from voluntary service charges in the form of tips.
Tobias said the company has made a decision to withdraw the service charge because the level of the service has dropped and the good workers are being penalised and the bad ones rewarded. He said the amount of money collected as service charge was greater than 15 percent. “But what happened when we put the mandatory service charge on, our service has gone down,” he said.
Poor service must improve
“What was happening was that those that were doing a poor job were being rewarded while the good ones were being penalised,” said Tobias. He said that the company gets nothing from the service charge but it is unfair to ask customers to pay for bad service. “We get no net gain from this at all,” he said.
He believes that with the change the workers who really deserve the extra money will earn it through their tips while those who do not will earn less on the side.
He is hopeful that with the change in the arrangement the service will go back “to the way it was before".
Asked about the complaint to the Labour Commissioner, Mr Tobias said that while the Labour Department has its duties to perform, he is running his business within the law.
Efforts to reach Labour Commissioner Janice I. F. Rymer for a comment regarding the issues raised by the Pusser’s employees proved futile.
See previous story published on April 27, 2015:
Pusser’s employees take complaints to Labour Dept
- say the owner of the business Charles S. Tobias is just telling his side of the story
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI – Workers of Pusser’s today April 27, 2015 turned up at the Labour Department seeking its intervention into industrial relations issues arising between them and their employer, Charles S. Tobias.
When this news site visited the Department the workers, all female, said they came to the Department for its help and representation and said they hope to have the matter resolved soon.
The refused to comment officially to this news site or to say what exactly the issue was, saying that they want to give the Department a chance to resolve their grievance between employer and employees before speaking to the media. However, they did venture to say that Chairman of Pusser’s Store and Pub, Charles S. Tobias was giving just one side of the story to the media.
When contacted today, Tobias said that he could not comment and that the news site should contact him tomorrow or another day. Tobias had told this news site that he had plans to provide insurance coverage for his employees and go the extra mile to ensure that they remain with the business as they were his most valuable assets.
Many of the women who were there said they have been working with Pussers almost all their adult lives.
Efforts to reach Labour Commissioner Janice I. F. Rymer for a comment regarding the Pusser’s employees proved futile.
Earlier this month, Tobias denied having sold the business, saying he was seeking investors to help build the brand and take it where he wants it to go. He said he had had some offers over the years but refused to take them as he did not feel they were the right fit.
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68 Responses to “UPDATE: Pusser’s workers upset over removal of service charge”
Oh - and please pay tax on what you actually earn, like the rest of us!
Yes they are p*g$, i went there a couple of time and i could not believe how n@$ty the staff attitude is.I must say it is the worst customer service i have ever seen in my life.Take away the tips too, they don't deserved anything extra..
From a dish washer to a cook, then a manager...HUU that can really change people;
Problem fixed.
No more problem.
New owners.
these w***e folks need to stop exploiting our people be them citizen or non citizen of BVI......making millions of the backs of our people; and labour department will do nothing(free wings & pizzas).....them you have set of jack-@&& blogging dumb !*ck...
You will have some Uncle Tom locals and government official who will ignore these complaints. Majority will come from ex pats
Labour officials got P*$$3rs discount cards.
For everyone's information- Labour don't give a $h£$ about the employee; if you read the Act carefully, its more beneficial to the Employer.
I have been working wit Pusser's for 10 yes.and it not easy.we have No representation.No Respect.wit Managers espically at Marina Cay. Wen we have an @$$.for a ca****.disrespecting everybody guest.managers and staff.always drunk on the Job.and we cannot even complain to anybody.so it true pusser's Need some good respectfully Managers.we the Staff try our best.we try to do our best and No One appreicate Us.
When I worked as a waitress there was NO service charge. We just earned tips. And because of this. I hustled to be courteous and considerate with ALL of my customers regardless of order size, table size, race, ethnicity, local, tourist or international... I hope yall can keep up with the times. Charles is early thats all it is... Soon other restaurants in the Territory will follow. Me? I can't wait to eat at the new tip-earning Pussers. Let me see if there will be a good change in some of the bad attitudes.
Everyone putting their 2cent has anyone stop and see that the prices has gone up from firday last week so whos making all the money for weeks now the managers been telling the staff c***** coming out with a letter its so nasty when u all read it either u stay and take the sh*t or pack yur bags and leave thats no way to speak to yur stuff
Go back to basic, good quality food, good customer service, competitive pricing and don't forget that how you treat your staff. Provide basic ustomer ervice training for your managers first and then the rest of the staff.
MOST OF THESE ESTABLISHMENTS TREAT PEOPLE LIKE DOGS
IT'S A SHAME WHEN SOME OF THESE SO CALL W%%$# FOLKS COME TO THESE LITTLE ISLANDS AND THINK THEY ARE BIGGER THAN ANYONES ELSE.