Having to supply your own food to a work's do...

[CalmTheFarm]

A long term colleague is leaving next Friday and my company have organised a leaving do for her. They are organising a BBQ (even though the colleague is vegetarian) except we have been told all the workers have to bring a contribution and the company will supply the meat (cheap sausages like the last time)

This is private sector and only a company of 20 odd people, they have also put on morning teas etc before for other works dos and because this leaving do was initiated by the CEO I think it is extremely unfair to ask workers to contribute, Aibu?!

Those of you going on about teaching, the NHS, etc. need to realise we're talking about the private sector here. The company has organised the party therefore they should be paying. If colleagues wanted to organise something and pay for it themselves they could do that amongst themselves.

My firm would pay for everything for a do like this. If it is during the working day they should pay.

When I was private sector we were allowed to at least leave early and expect a contribution or hosting for a team retirement do.
Public sector is 0% funded and out of hours only. We can't even have a cheap glass of wine at 4pm (out of core hours) on the premises.

Once built a building for the public sector. Oh the angst to get bubbles on the premises (under the insurance) for the grand opening. It involved signing the building over between several parties for a limited time span.

I, too, worked in local government. We threw the parties in honour of the retiring,leaving colleague. Had a non obligatory whip-round, shopped at the local Tesco for stuff everyone could eat and tucked in. Always good fun and not too expensive as junior staff were appallingly paid and couldn't afford much in the way of a contribution.

common where I work; management pays for part (in this case the meat) and staff then do a bit of a pot luck to go with it.
ice tea, pop or fruit beverage is also handy to have
cookies for afterwards

Cold baby potato salad with mayo and chives/scallions. Cheap and delicious.

I see the problem. If a group of people at work had decided to have a leaving party for someone then asked all attendees to bring something then fine. Not fine for someone to tell you you're going and that you have to bring something. If they had announced it as optional then maybe.