Murder of manageress sparks call for action

By Christina Golding

The murder of a restaurant manageress has provoked a fresh outcry for action to stamp out violence in the hospitality industry.

Last week a man accused of murdering manageress Eliza Ward, who worked at the Cafe Society in Belfast, was remanded in custody pending a trial next month.

Ward died after a knife was plunged into her chest last month as she tried to help the owner of the restaurant, Renée Lea, who was being attacked. Lea herself ended up seriously injured.

Gerard Patrick Stewart, who was a kitchen porter at the restaurant at the time, has been charged with Ward's murder and the attempted murder of Lea.

The problem of violence in the workplace came to the fore last week when some of the UK's top chefs spoke out about poor conditions provoking violence.

Earlier this year, a survey revealed that 76% of calls to the Hotel Workers' London branch of the Transport and General Workers Union related to bullying.

Richard Shepherd, owner of Langan's Brasserie in London said: "We are in a pressurised industry; there is always tension and tempers can flare. But violence should be sat on straight away."

However, it is down to employers to ensure staff know their rights, according to Janet Gray, head of human resources for Jarvis Hotels and chairman of the Hotel Employers Group.

"There is much more protection from the Harassment Act, introduced in June, which gives staff more rights to bring a case against someone who is harassing them," she said.

"If anyone reports bullying or violence, it should be taken very seriously," she added.