Bars and clubs in Dubai are unfairly paying European staff more than their Asian peers and displaying ‘racist’ attitudes when it comes to promotions, according to one prominent beverage manager.
The topic of the role of race in recruitment and career progression among bartenders was one of the issues raised at Caterer Middle East Bar & Nightlife Forum yesterday in Dubai at Grosvenor House.
A panel session moderated by Gary Holliday, owner and director of Societe Dubai, looked at how nightlife can be seen as a career, rather than a job.
Angus McGregor, beverage manager at Frioul Bistro de Luxe, broached the topic of race when asked why it was often difficult to motivate staff.
“We’re now seeing a lot of people looking for white faces,” he said. “They’re willing to pay three times more, and, I say this from first-hand experience, many of these people coming from Europe have certainly no better skills."
| Advertisement |
He further expanded on this when discussing career progression in the industry, explaining how there were “racist” attitudes when it came to promoting some of these staff.
Staff retention and recruitment was another key issue highlighted, with Sam Bailey, assistant general manager at GQ Bar, explaining the difficulties.
“One of the biggest pitfalls is the contracts,” he said. “90% of western bartenders we are trying to recruit are coming from full time or casually paid contract. To come over here on a fixed two-year contract – why they are going to have to pay their way out of – is a scary concept for some people.”
Meanwhile, Media One director of F&B Felix Hartmann suggested people were now more realistic about the lifestyle they would have in Dubai.
“In 2006 everyone wanted to come to Dubai,” he said. “In the last years the reality has reached out to the world what are the salaries, the packages and the accommodation.”
Motorga Heathcliff, operations manager at Omnia by Silvena, expanded on this, explaining how the excitement of coming out to Dubai to work in a bar often subsides quickly. “Some of them lose patience very fast. Other places around the corner are waiting for them, offering extra 1000 [dirhams] a month.”
Search our database of more than 2,700 industry companies
