Bar workers at Draughts, a popular board game bar in Waterloo, London, are staging walkouts every Saturday this month in protest against the use of QR code ordering, which they say has “ruined their connection to customers.”
Staff argue that the system, introduced widely across the hospitality industry during and after Covid, has stripped away the social side of their jobs by reducing conversations with customers to little more than dropping off food and drinks.
“This is not just some random pub job. We are passionate about board games and hospitality and we want to be able to recommend games and teach customers the rules. But QR codes take away all that social interaction,” said Brune Levi-Hamza, one of the striking workers.
Employees also say the technology is cutting into their pay. Because customers are asked to pay upfront when ordering through their phones, many remove the service charge, resulting in fewer tips. Staff claim they warned management about this before QR codes were introduced but were ignored.
The workers, who are members of the United Voices of the World (UVW) union, say the dispute is not just about QR codes but also about broader issues like zero-hours contracts, cuts to hours, and unsafe working conditions.
“Hospitality bosses think they can get away with zero-hours contracts, unsafe conditions, and cutting pay through apps, but Draughts staff are proving them wrong,” said UVW General Secretary Petros Elia. “If management keeps dodging negotiations, our members will only escalate.”
While QR codes were initially hailed as convenient, especially through the Wetherspoons app, both workers and customers have increasingly criticised them as impersonal and a way for venues to sneak in hidden charges. Some pubs are now moving away from cashless systems, while others, like The Coronation in Bristol, have gone further — charging 20% more for bar orders to push customers toward digital transactions.
For Draughts workers, though, the strike is about defending hospitality as a career. “We want to feel respected as passionate workers,” said Brune. “I like making sure people are having a good time.”
