Amritsar: Hotels' staff resent ending of service charge

Amritsar, July 14

The Union Government’s directions to prohibit the levying of service charge by hotels and restaurants have not gone down well with staff of various hotels and restaurants in the city.

Being a top tourist destination in the country, the holy city is a hub of a large number of hotels and restaurants. As per functionaries of an association of hotels and restaurants, less than 25 per cent of luxury hotels and high-end restaurants were levying this charge.

A staff member of a restaurant, on condition of anonymity, said their salary was fixed between Rs 7,000 and 11,000. So, service charge, in a way, helps those employees who belong to marginal sections of society. The amount accumulated through service charge is distributed among a spectrum of staff every week or fortnightly as per the rule in an organisation.

Those who receive this payment include utility workers, dishwashers (masalchi), bus boys, trainee waiters, assistant waiters, waiters, captain waiters, senior captain waiters and kitchen staff.

Piyush Kapoor, general secretary of the Amritsar Hotel and Restaurants’ Association, said earlier the service charge was not mandatory. Moreover, it is for the welfare of staff and economic betterment of their families. “When one is happily paying the bill of a meal worth thousands of rupees, what is wrong with parting with some money for the welfare of staff,” said Piyush.

He said hotels did not charge anything from a customer when their children damage breakable utensils. There are many such expenditures to bear during the course of operating hotels and restaurants.

Navdeep Singh, manager of a restaurant, said his restaurant never levied service charge as sometimes customers lodged a protest for its being incorporated in bills. “They say it was their sweet will whether they pay it or not,” he added. — TNS

Less than 25% were levying fee

• As per functionaries of an association of hotels and restaurants, less than 25 per cent of luxury hotels and high-end restaurants were levying this charge
• A staff member of a restaurant, on condition of anonymity, said their salary was fixed between Rs 7,000 and Rs 11,000. So, service charge, in a way, helps those employees who belong to marginal sections of society