News on 07 December 2000
A survey by the trade union negotiators’ magazine Bargaining
Report found that less workplaces offered a canteen facility and existing
ones charged more since the last survey five years ago.
Out of the 273 workplaces surveyed, only two thirds had a workplace canteen
compared to 82% of the 213 workplaces surveyed in 1995. Within 43% of
the companies where a canteens was provided employers were breaking the
law by failing to protect non-smokers from tobacco smoke.
Since 1995, more than nine out of 10 canteens offered a vegetarian option
compared to only six out of 10 and prices had gone up due to cut backs
in subsidies and prices rising by more than inflation. A main meal costs
39% more now than it did five years ago although 48% of respondents thought
the quality of the canteen food was good or excellent.
Two thirds of canteens were also found to be run by private contractors
and 34 of these had been privatised in the last five years. Where privatisation
had occurred, more than half of respondents said the canteen service had
deteriorated as a result.
