Staff at Boujee restaurant have walked out in protest after claiming they have not been paid their full wages in weeks.
Staff at the Liverpool restaurant, where the walkouts occurred, also claim that they have had table service charges withheld by management for months.
The hot-pink-themed group of restaurants, which also has sites in Manchester and Chester, has reportedly been struggling with ‘cashflow’ issues since December last year.
Image: Boujee
Boujee by name, boujee by nature, the group has become known for its Barbie and Ken box insta traps and Champagne rooms dedicated to Laurent Perrier’s pink fizz.
Here, a bottle of champagne costs £90 for a Laurent Brut and up to £750 for Laurent Perrier Rose Jeroboam, whilst cocktails will set you back a minimum of £9 a glass.
ADVERTISEMENT
The group also counts Real Housewives of Cheshire star Lystra Adams as a director, although it is understood she is not involved in the site’s day-to-day operations.
The Liverpool site, which first opened in December 2020, has a giant candy area and themed ‘pool party’ and ‘Alice in Boujeeland’ spaces.
ADVERTISEMENT
But in spite of all this glitz and glamour, its staff said they have received just 40% of their expected wages on recent paydays, and claim to have regularly not received service charges which are automatically added onto customers’ bills whether they are drinking or dining.
The pay dispute was reported in the Liverpool Echo, after staff told the paper some colleagues had walked out of shifts over the situation and that others were struggling to meet their rent and mortgage payments.
A company message was shared with Boujee’s staff at the end of June in an attempt to explain to workers why they had not received their full pay.
It said: “It is with huge regret and disappointment that we are not able to pay the wages in their entirety today. We have exhausted every avenue and it is at the point where we require the revenue from this weekend and next in order to catch up and make the payments in full.
Image: Boujee
“Today we will be making a payment to all employees of 40 per cent of their total wage. On Monday we will make a second payment and this will be 30 per cent of their total wage plus 50 per cent of the service charge for the month.
“The following Monday we will pay the remaining 30 per cent and the remaining 50 per cent of the service charge.
“We are extremely sorry that it has come to this and I assure you we are doing all we can to get back on track and our team are vital in this path to recovery. We fully appreciate this is not acceptable and we thank you for your hard work, support and loyalty through what has been a very challenging time.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Image: Boujee
Bosses described the need to hold back wages as an ‘unfortunate position’, adding that the company had now managed to pay its staff 70% of what was owed. It did not comment on allegations of withholding tips and service charges.
A spokesperson said: “The hospitality industry is continuing to face very challenging times with increases in costs such as utilities and food supplies. We have done what we can do as a business to absorb these costs without passing directly onto our customers.
“We experienced unexpected costs last month which created temporary cash flow constraints for the business. Whilst 70 per cent of the staff wages has been paid, the remaining 30 per cent has been deferred by five working days.
“It is an unfortunate position and we do sympathise with our team and appreciate their efforts. As many in the hospitality sector have suffered during the pandemic we have continued to push forward, which has had a detrimental impact on cash reserves.
ADVERTISEMENT
“We are continuing to liaise with our valued staff members and will do what we can to absorb the increased operational costs moving forward. We are confident that the business will resume as usual and we remain open for business.”
Feature image – Boujee
News
Police confirm man was arrested ‘on suspicion of making an explosive device’ in Gay Village
Daisy Jackson
Police have confirmed that the man who was detained in the midst of an incident in the Gay Village yesterday was arrested on suspicion of making an ‘explosive device’.
A huge cordon was in place in the Canal Street area in the city centre on Monday 11 May, after members of the public reported a ‘chemical smell’ coming from a hotel at around 10.45am.
Emergency services attended the scene and found chemical substances in a hotel room.
The man, who was believed to be the occupant of the hotel room, was detained at the scene.
Greater Manchester Police have since confirmed that he was ‘detained on suspicion of making an explosive device’ and was taken into custody for questioning.
In an update shared yesterday, they wrote: “The response to the incident on Canal Street in Manchester city centre is being reduced following reports of chemical substances being found.
“Emergency services examined items within a room inside a hotel following calls from the public at about 10:45am.
“A man, believed to be the occupant of the room, was detained on suspicion of making an explosive device and is currently in custody being questioned.
“Chemical substances found in the room have been examined and are in the process of being safely removed. The subsequent examination ruled out any explosive risk.
“We are working with the hotel management to return the establishment to normal after staff and guests were evacuated as a precaution.
“Staff from the fire service’s Hazardous Materials and Environmental Protection team remain in attendance to conduct tests and ensure the area is safe.
“We would like to thank the public and surrounding businesses for their patience as we continue with our work.”
No trams to run on major Greater Manchester line for two weeks as part of £150m improvement works
Emily Sergeant
Major disruption is on the horizon, as no trams are set to run on a major Greater Manchester line for two weeks this month.
As the next phase of the ongoing £150m investment into Greater Manchester’s tram network gets under way this month, essential track replacement work is set to be be carried out in a bid to make the network ‘safer’ and ‘more resilient and reliable’ for years to come.
Due to improvement works on the Oldham-Rochdale line – which is being carried out between Monsall and Newton Heath & Moston – there will be no trams between Manchester Victoria and Rochdale town centre for two weeks, starting from this Saturday 16 May right through to Friday 29 May.
The work being carried out will involve replacing sections of track and improving drainage along the route.
The track foundation will also be replaced where needed, as well as work to correct the alignment and level of the track.
No trams will be running on a major Greater Manchester line for two weeks from this weekend / Credit: TfGM
Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has conceded that this is a ‘big and complex job’ – with 290 new concrete sleepers and 2,000 tonnes of pea gravel being used, and more than 5,000 tonnes of ballast set to be replaced.
But, when the work is done, it’s aiming to make journeys ‘smoother and more reliable’ for passengers, while improving the condition of the track for the long-term.
While the work is being carried out and the line is closed, bus replacement services will be in place between Victoria and Rochdale Town Centre, and more frequent Bee Network bus services will also call at the bus stops near each tram stop too, however tram tickets will only be accepted on the replacement bus, not on numbered bus services.
Elsewhere, work at Derker will also take place at the same to ‘minimise disruption’.
The track was made safe following a landslip in summer 2024, but now, a longer-term solution will see teams drive steel sheets into the ground to hold it in place and prevent further movement, before further work will be needed later in the year to complete the job.
And to top it off, from Monday 25 to Friday 29 May, improvement work to update equipment that has been in place since the line opened in 1992 will also take place at Piccadilly Gardens, and that means no trams will run between St Peter’s Square/Market Street and Piccadilly during this time.
Customers may need to change trams, take a short walk, or hop on the free bus to continue their journey.
Tram services will resume as normal from the start of service on Saturday 30 May, and passengers travelling during this period are urged to ‘plan ahead’.
Everything you need to know about the planned works is on the TfGM website here.
Georgina Pellant -
11th July 2022 
