Letters

A Blackadder approach to TUPE

With reference to Michael Gottlieb's diatribe on TUPE (Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment)) (Caterer, 15 June, page 20), I find my experiences completely different when purchasing companies, although I have no experience of acquiring contracts in this regard.

When I look at a company with a view to purchase, I examine its assets: building, equipment, trading history and employees. All should be carefully assessed as, while they will each have a value, they will also often have a liability. The building may contain asbestos, the equipment may not comply with regulations and some of the staff may not be suitable.

Any staff that do not have two years' service and are, in Gottlieb's terms, "hamburger" not "filet mignon", cannot be dismissed but can be made redundant if they are unable to meet the needs of the redirected company.

This will have a cost, but it is peanuts compared with a wrongful dismissal claim. It must be accepted that employees should not be penalised because the company wants to change direction.

The third action is to review uniformity of contract. The old company may have some quirky conditions of employment that you find unacceptable. These can usually be resolved with a reasonable attitude and a modicum of compensation if you develop a good relationship with the new employees. If your approach is more Blackadder and Baldrick, then you are on to a hiding to nothing.

Carefully evaluate all the pros and cons of a proposed purchase, cost in the changes to building, equipment and staff, recognise that people have basic rights and that benefits to you cannot be achieved at a cost to them, and you will find that TUPE does represent an obstacle course, but not one filled with lethal explosives.

Chris Woolley,Broomfield Hotel, Bolton.

How did Michael Gottlieb ever become President of the Restaurant Association? Was he elected by President Mugabe? TUPE was introduced to protect us, the hamburgers and the filet mignons, from Gottlieb's type.

Martin Cheesman,Inner Temple head chef.

Can delegates really be that happy?

Your report that delegates are happier with the quality of conference food (Caterer, June 15, page 8) raises some interesting issues.

First, it's commendable that the Meetings Industry Association (MIA) is tracking the opinions of meetings participants as opposed to those of organisers or venues. This is overdue in our industry.

That said, the remarkable upswing in apparent standards in just one year, namely from 33% to 50%, is unlikely, as is the decline in dissatisfaction levels from 10% to just 3%. I may be wrong, but perhaps there is a sampling weakness of some sort? However, the glaring point for us all to recognise is that if just one in 30 customers is unhappy (let alone last year's one in 10), then that adds up to many, many thousands of delegates when the figures are extrapolated across the whole market.

With conferences costing £200 per person per day or more, shouldn't even this tiny figure be a cause for alarm bells to start ringing?

So well done to the MIA for drawing our attention to it.

Penny Thomas,Director, Banks Sadler, London NW1.

Help to adapt hotels for disabled access

I should like to expand on some of the points made by Peter Taylor on the Disability Discrimination Act (Caterer, 1 June, page 16).

He refers to the work of the Hoteliers Forum. This has developed the "IndividuALL" programme, which is designed to assist hoteliers to make the necessary changes to their operations in five key areas (culture, staff, communications, facilities and customers). It provides a framework for a hotel to adapt without major disruption to its business. The booklet is available from the Hoteliers Forum.

Taylor also mentions that advice on accessibility is available from various specialist organisations. One such group is the Specialist Tourism and Leisure Providers (STLP). This is a group of charities that provide specialist accommodation and holiday services for the disabled in the UK. STLP members operate hotels in various locations across the country and are willing to share their experience with any hoteliers who wish to learn more about catering for the holiday needs of disabled people.

The Hoteliers Forum and members of the STLP all belong to the Tourism for All consortium, the umbrella organisation that works to create and support an accessible hospitality and tourism industry in the UK and Europe for customers and staff regardless of age, disability or income. I would recommend to any tourism operator seeking assistance that they consider joining this organisation.

Stephen Springer,Chairperson, STLP, London EC2.

Keep filling in the forms to find the right position

William Deane asks why employers insist on job applicants completing a form when they have already received a CV from the applicant.

In my experience, this is simply because a CV often does not contain enough information (for example, reasons for leaving positions, previous salaries, etc) and the use of an application form allows the employer more accurately to compare applicants.

At Appleby Manor we shall shortly be advertising for a second chef and we will follow our usual procedure, with the CVs received helping us choose which applicants should be asked to complete an application form. From the completed forms we will then choose which applicants should be asked for interview.

If Mr Deane wants to ensure the greatest chance of success in his applications, he could make sure his CV has answers to all the questions on his application forms, and when completing application forms, he could refrain from using the phrase "see CV".

Nick Swinscoe, Managing Partner, Best Western Appleby Manor Hotel, Appleby, Cumbria.