Gary Neville is branded 'hypocrite' as hotel staff paid minimum wage
Gary Neville was branded a ‘hypocrite’ yesterday as it emerged his luxury hotel is advertising for staff on the minimum wage.
The former England and
Manchester United player sparked fury on Sunday by using
ITV’s World Cup final broadcast from Qatar to rant about
Tory ministers paying nurses only ‘a pittance’.
He even compared the Government’s treatment of
NHS staff to the Qatari regime’s approach to migrant workers, some of whom died building stadiums for the tournament.
But yesterday it emerged that Neville’s five-star Stock Exchange Hotel, which he co owns with former teammate Ryan Giggs, is advertising for waiters and waitresses on a salary of £9.50 an hour.
This is the minimum wage for anyone aged 23 or older. They would work at the hotel’s Bull & Bear restaurant, where bottles of wine cost up to £5,900 and steaks are priced at £49.50.
Suites can cost up to £850 a night. Neville, 47, and his co-owners pay celebrity chef Tom Kerridge a fee to run the high end restaurant and bank any profits themselves.
The partnership is to end in the new year. The job adverts state: ‘Stock Exchange Hotel is recruiting for part time waiters/waitresses to join our Bull & Bear team.
The ideal candidate will be well-presented and confident with experience in a 5- star restaurant or a high-quality restaurant setting.
‘They will have a friendly, warm personality, someone who is enthusiastic and is keen to help the guest.
The successful candidate will be focused on providing high quality service and will genuinely enjoy creating memorable guest experiences.’
Benefits on top of the £9.50 an hour include ‘discounted or free food’.
Based on a 37.5hour week, this would offer a salary of around £18,500 a year. A typical nurse is on £34,000.
Bartenders are also being sought on a salary of between £9.50 and £11 an hour. The advert states: ‘Stock Exchange Hotel is currently recruiting for a bartender to join our Bull & Bear team.
The ideal candidate should have a ‘positive can-do attitude and friendly personality with a solid employment background having gained experience within high-end cocktail bars’. The advert states they will be allowed to keep tips.
