01.07.2025 / Press releases / Draughts Bar

UVW launches legal action Against Trendy Board Game Bar Chain, Draughts 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tuesday 1 July 2024

• UVW union member Awed Nur, from Sudan, was dismissed from Draughts board game bar in London just one day after a strike ballot notice was issued.
• The dismissal is being challenged in the employment tribunal with an urgent application for interim relief which could compel Draughts to reinstate Awed 
• Draughts claims to prioritise respect and inclusion, but workers allege a culture of low pay and anti-union hostility.
• UVW says Draughts refused to negotiate before receiving strike notice and dismissing Awed.

A kitchen worker from Sudan at one of London’s trendiest independent bar chains, Draughts, has been dismissed just one day after his trade union, United Voices of the World (UVW), served formal notice of its intention to ballot Draughts workers for strike action.

Awed, who was employed at the Stratford branch of Draughts, a board game-themed bar situated in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, was terminated on the alleged grounds of a “reduced need for staffing hours.” However, UVW contends that the real motive behind the dismissal was retaliatory and directly linked to Awed’s trade union membership.

Draughts, founded over a decade ago and co-directed by Nicholas Curci, has three branches in London: Stratford, Hackney, and Waterloo. Known for its curated board game collection and trendy clientele, the company has never before faced the threat of coordinated industrial action from its workforce. 

UVW has now launched legal proceedings on behalf of Awed, including an urgent application for interim relief – a rarely granted emergency order from the Employment Tribunal which could compel Draughts to reverse the dismissal and reinstate Awed. Awed’s case is expected to be heard at an expedited preliminary hearing in the coming weeks

Awed, who had a previously unblemished employment record, received no prior warning, consultation, or due process before his dismissal, which UVW argues is a clear act of trade union victimisation. 

Awed, who had worked for Draughts with dedication and no prior issues, described the dismissal as “devastating.”

Petros Elia, UVW General Secretary, condemned the dismissal:

“This case demonstrates the shameful lengths some employers will go to in order to intimidate and silence their workers. Awed had an impeccable track record, and his only ‘crime’ was to stand with his fellow workers and demand fair treatment. Sacking someone in retaliation to a strike ballot notice which followed your refusal to negotiate is not only morally indefensible but also unlawful and cowardly. UVW will pursue every available legal and industrial avenue to defend Awed and to hold Draughts accountable. And I urge you not to doubt us and to look at our track record of winning applications for interim relief for our members, which is second to none. 

Awed described his dismissal as sudden and humiliating:

“I was completely shocked and humiliated. I had no warnings, no issues at work, and was simply doing my job. Being told I was no longer needed, just a day after the union notified management of a strike ballot, made it clear to me what this was about. I was standing up for my rights with my union, and they just threw me out like I didn’t matter. But I’m not backing down – and I know UVW has my back.

UVW has stated that the dispute with Draughts concerns broader issues affecting staff across all three locations, including the use of zero-hour contracts. 

UVW is urging the public to show solidarity with Awed and his colleagues and to support the campaign for better treatment of hospitality workers across the UK.

For more information contact the UVW comms team.

Isabel: 07706 987443

Cristina: 07548 759340

E-mail: comms@uvwunion.org.uk   

Notes for editors

United Voices of the World is an anti-racist, member-led, direct action, campaigning trade union and we exist to support and empower the most vulnerable groups of precarious, low-paid and predominantly BAME and migrant workers in the UK. We fight the bosses through direct action on the streets and through the courts and demand that all members receive at least the London Living Wage, full pay, sick pay, dignity, equality and respect.

ENDS 

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