LONDON, Oct. 1 (Xinhua) -- How much tip do you leave after enjoying a nice restaurant meal, and who gets the tip you leave?
The British government announced Monday it is to bring in a new law to ban restaurant owners from creaming off a proportion of the tips left by satisfied diners.
The government action comes after it was revealed that many High Street restaurant chains routinely took up to 10 percent of tips paid by customers using credit and debit cards to pay for their meals.
The move was welcomed by Britain's biggest trade union organization, the TUC.
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said: "While most employers act in good faith, in some sectors evidence points towards poor tipping practices, including excessive deductions being made from tips left by customers.
"New legislation, to be introduced at the earliest opportunity, will set out that tips must go to the workers providing the service."
The department's statement added: "This legislation will ensure workers get the tips they deserve and give consumers reassurance that the money they leave in good faith to reward good service is going to the staff, as they intended -- ensuring that hard work is rewarded."
TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady welcomed the news today that the government is set to ban restaurant owners from taking a share of tips from their staff.
O'Grady said: "This decision is long overdue and is a victory for union campaigning. For too long managers have got away with stealing tips from staff.
"These new rules must be introduced quickly so that restaurant workers get what they're owed."
