STAFF at one of the Trafford Centre's most popular restaurants are staging a strike this week in a dispute over tips and minimum pay breaches.

It will be the third time this year that front-of-house staff at TGI Fridays have walked out to protest management's plan to force them to share nearly half of all tips with kitchen staff.

Staff from the Trafford Centre restaurant will stage an hour long protest on Friday from 1.30pm at Bridgewater Circle.

Restaurant bosses say sharing tips with back-of-house staff is a fairer system but waiting staff claim this could deprive them of up to £250 a month each in tips, which they rely on to top-up their minimum wage.

But Unite, Britain’s biggest union, has warned TGI Fridays to 'get its house in order' as the company continues to suffer reputational damage because of the dispute.

The union claims that the restaurant chain's bosses have refused to sit down with the union to settle the dispute.

A recent YouGov poll has revealed that the TGI Fridays brand’s impression score (whether someone has a positive impression of a brand) has taken a hit since February when reports of the company’s decision to take 40 per cent of waiters’ tips without consultation first hit the headlines.

Dave Turnbull Unite regional officer said: “TGI Fridays’ refusal to listen to workers is to blame for the considerable reputational damage suffered by the brand in the past few months.

“Customers don’t like exploitation and the company’s decision to redirect 40 per cent of waiters’ tips to the kitchen teams in lieu of a pay rise, with just two days’ notice and without consultation – a move costing low waged workers £250 a month in lost wages - is hugely exploitative.

“Unpaid trial shifts, making low waged workers complete compulsory training in their own time, without getting paid and cheating workers out of money they’re rightfully owed is also exploitative and fundamentally wrong. The public gets this, it’s a shame that TGI Fridays does not.

“TGI Fridays and restaurant chains like it are risking their brand’s reputation if they don’t get their houses in order and start paying staff a wage they can live on and treat them with respect.

“With the chain’s owner, Electra, putting itself up for sale, the time has come for common sense to prevail. It’s time to get around the table to find a sensible solution and a better way forward.

“TGI Fridays is warned that our members are more determined than ever. The strike is solid, more workers are joining the union every day. We will not back down until the company sits down with us to settle this dispute.”

TGI Fridays defended management's decision to enforce sharing of tips with kitchen staff.

A TGI Fridays spokesman said: “Our team members are a part of our Fridays family, and we care about them.

"We believe all our team members should be – and are – treated and paid fairly.

"Despite this, a small number at Manchester Trafford Centre have voted to strike. We are listening to them and are collectively working to find a resolution.

"In the meantime, we will be doing all we can to ensure our guests receive the usual great dining experience and that the restaurant remains open as normal.”

Staff at the restaurant claim the move to forcibly divvy up the tips among front and back-house staff is a cynical ploy on behalf of restaurant bosses to top-up the low wages of kitchen staff and discourage them from seeking employment elsewhere.

TGI Fridays in Trafford Centre has experienced a high turnover of kitchen staff in recent months. On average, a member of staff quits the restaurant chain every week.

Unite have warned the restaurant's management of a "summer of disruption" if they continue to demand staff forcibly hand over their tips.

Dave Turnball, unite regional officer, said: “Unite is warning TGI Fridays of a summer of disruption if management don’t do the decent thing and sit down with us to find a sensible solution to this dispute.

“Our members have sent a very clear message that they will not roll over and be bullied into having their tips taken, without any consultation and with just two days’ notice - a move that will leave waiting staff up to £250 a month worse off.

“This isn’t about minimum wage servers not wanting to share with their kitchen colleagues. It’s about a company whose shareholders have gotten so greedy that they no longer want to pay their hardworking staff anything above the bare minimum.”

Unite accused TGI Fridays last year of using unpaid trial shifts and of taking 40 per cent of waiters’ card tips and redistributing them to kitchen staff in lieu of a pay rise.

The restaurant chain also featured on a list of companies “named and shamed” by the Government last year for not paying the minimum wage.

Staff at the Trafford Centre restaurant will be joined by colleagues at Covent Garden and Piccadilly branches in London, as well as staff in Milton Keynes.

A TGI Fridays staff member confirmed that the Trafford Centre restaurant is expected to open as usual on Friday, June 1.