Glasgow night-time industry must provide staff travel home

Glasgow City Council has passed a motion requiring hospitality businesses to provide free and safe transport home for late-night workers after 23:00.

It will apply to any new alcohol licences, or existing businesses applying for extended operating hours.

Unite union members had lobbied for the move through the Get Me Home Safely campaign.

It was led by hotel worker Caitlin Lee, who was sexually assaulted as she was walking home after finishing her shift.

She said her employer had refused to pay for her taxi home.

Unite worked with city councillors Eunis Jassemi, Holly Bruce and Anthony Carroll to pass the motion.

Since the campaign was launched in 2021, schemes have been introduced by Edinburgh City Council, East Dunbartonshire, North Ayrshire, Falkirk and Dundee.

Eunis Jassemi, Labour councillor for Glasgow's Victoria Park, said: "I'm delighted to have worked with Unite Scotland on getting the Get Me Home Safety motion passed in the biggest city in the country.

"Delighted to have worked on a cross-party basis to make this happen. The hard work starts now."

Anthony Carroll, a Green Councillor for Dennistoun, said that people working late at night often have to rely on "precarious provision of public transport or private hire to get home safely".

He added: "Delighted this just passed unanimously."

Bryan Simpson, national organiser for Unite Hospitality, said: "This is a huge step forward for Glasgow's late-night workforce who have had to chose between walking home and spending two hours wages on a taxi home for far too long now.

"Unite will not stop until this impossible choice is made a thing of the past."