Hi antiwork, I need your advice on something, I'll try to keep it short.
Basically I have worked for the same small bar on and off for over ten years, starting when I was about 15. In those ten years I never got a payraise even though I went from just doing dishes to opening and basically being shift leader. (My wage went up as I got older, but that's a legal requirement it was always minimum wage.)
I now haven't worked at the bar for about a year and have a different job that I enjoy much more, but the owner rang me to ask if I could help with the staff shortage and do one shift a month. I enjoy working at the bar and could use a bit more money so I said yes, but also said that I wanted a pay raise. (I am aiming to go from ten to about 15 an hour.) The owner said yes and is currently discussing with the other owner what they will offer me.
Last week I was speaking to a colleague and mentioned I will get a payraise soon. He said that he and other colleagues have been discussing how low the pay is and how appaling it is. Him hearing that I will get a raise made him get in touch with other colleagues and get them to come to the negotiation table together (I plan to be there as well and of course fully support this).
Basically my dilemma is this: I know my colleagues will approach the owner soon to negotiate as a group. At the same time, I will get an offer soon and if that is at least 15 euros I will be happy with that. So, do I just take the offer and then see how I can help my colleagues, or do I wait till we are all organised and then see the offer.
(Some more info: it is a small bar, about 15 staff members total, in Europe and generally a good place to work as far as service industry goes, the oay is just shit)