CUSTOMERS at TGI Fridays cancelled table bookings today in solidarity with striking staff members as more pressure piled on the company against tip-gouging and low pay.

The restaurant chain felt the heat as scores of workers from Manchester, Milton Keynes and London continued their dispute for the second Friday in a row against controversial tipping practices and minimum wage payment irregularities.

The workers are protesting over their managers introducing new directives at just 48-hours’ notice regarding the way tips are distributed.

Managers want nearly half of tips from front-of-house staff to be given to cooks and kitchen porters, who are currently paid very little and are unlikely to stick at the job as a result.

However, the waiters and waitresses at TGI Fridays argue that this represents a real-terms pay cut of hundreds of pounds a month each.

They argue that kitchen staff should be paid properly and respectfully rather than being subsidised by their tips.

Fili, a striking TGI Fridays employee, told the Star that kitchen staff “deserve a proper pay deal” and that service staff “deserve tips — as well as proper consultation.”

“In my case, I am losing around £200 a week. How can I plan my life like this?”

Across the country, the Star has received numerous reports of families cancelling their bookings.

John Tranter, an Ashton man, had a booking of eight scheduled for yesterday on his son Beridan’s tenth birthday.

However, upon hearing of the strike, he cancelled the booking.

Talking to the Star, Mr Tranter said: “I couldn’t be having that. It would give my kids bad morals — I was brought up knowing you can never cross a picket line.

“My kids might be working the sort of jobs TGI Fridays staff work now. They deserve to be treated right.”

Unite regional officer Dave Turnbull saluted the “tremendous” energy of the strikers, telling the Star that he was not surprised about the cancellations.

“The company’s standing has gone down, their reputation has plummeted.

“We are making an effect — the company just needs to talk to us now.”

When asked by the Star if management will be cracking anytime soon, Mr Turnbull said “We’ll see.”

A TGI Fridays spokesperson said the company “regretted” the strike activity.

Marcus Barnett is Morning Star industrial reporter.