Gordon Ramsay's New York restaurant faces a staff walkout

Gordon Ramsay is allegedly facing a walkout by staff of his New York restaurant, which is set to open next week.

According to a New York restaurant blog, waiting staff at Gordon Ramsay at the London are considering a walkout over being denied a share of the restaurant's tips.

The anonymous letter, published on Wednesday on eater.com, suggested that the most senior waiting staff, many of whom were brought in from the UK, face earning half of their more junior colleagues because they are not part of the local trade union.

The letter, which has been attributed to a worker at the restaurant, stated: "There's a potentially disastrous situation unfolding at Gordon Ramsay at the London.

"The non-union service staff (captains, maitre d's, sommeliers) have been entirely cut out of the tip pool. The union employees (backwaiters and waiters) are getting all the tips that the restaurant makes. So, a backwaiter will be making roughly 40-50% more than his managerial supervisor!

"Many of the non-union staff have contemplated leaving, if they are not already out the door."

No one from Gordon Ramsay Holdings was available to comment.

The £2.6m, 45-seat restaurant with 90-seat London Bar, is Ramsay's first venture in the highly competitive New York City market. It is modelled on Ramsay's venue at Royal Hospital Road, Chelsea, which has three Michelin stars.

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By Kerstin Kühn

E-mail your comments to Kerstin Kühn](mailto:kerstin.kuhn@rbi.co.uk?subject=Gordon Ramsay faces a staff walk out) here.

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