HotelWorkers.org.uk

The London Hotel Industry continues to do well.
London hotels are on track to grow revenues by 5% in 2008.
Revpar (revenue per available room) was up 3.1% in the year to May.

Recently the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson agreed that hotel workers and other service sector workers were the "backbone of the London economy" and made a considerable contribution to the success of the industry.

Yet the London hotel industry still refuses to pay workers a decent living wage.

It's about time we all did something to correct this injustice.

On 9th April,2008 an election hustings meeting in front of 2,200 Londoners was held at Central Hall, Westminster.
Twenty five members of this branch attended the meeting and heard
branch member Omosofe Ajaikaye, a room attendant at the Radisson Edwardian "Mayfair Hotel" speak to the 2,200 people in the hall and the four main candidates for London mayor.
She described the devastating impact a four year wage freeze had had on her life and received a standing ovation.

Hotel Workers at the 4th August branch meeting welcomed the decision to set up a union website for London Hotel Workers.
The banner will be revised, content from members will be featured and a "Why I joined the union" will feature as one of our primary headings.
If you are a member of Unite the Union's 1.1393 Central London Hotel Workers please register as a user.
85% of our members at the August branch meeting said that they were "comfortable" using computers or had "regular access to computers and the web".
We look forward to hearing about you and your story.

After a protest action last week, Hyatt Andaz management agreed to meet with London Citizens to discuss the living wage. A first meeting is scheduled for September.

Details to follow.

If you work for Hyatt, please contact Kevin Curran on 07840 665840

The London Central Hotel Workers Branch of Unite the Union have been working with West London Citizens (a division of London Citizens), to which they are affiliated, for two years to organise hotel workers.

Following early meetings with individual workers at the Paddington Hilton and The Metropole it became evident that there were strong collective concerns.Uppermost was the low level of wages and the lack of dignity and respect that they experienced from management and some guests.

Hotel branch members have been on London's streets for the past eight Thursdays supporting our brothers and sisters in the Restaurant and Bar Workers branch in their campaign to end employers abuse of waiters tips.

We have had huge support from the public.

The "Daily Mirror" has supported us magnificently for eight weeks.

The "Independent" has picked up our campaign in the last week and has given us great coverage.

Politicians are coming aboard to support the campaign.

No, we are not running karate and judo classes.

But we are holding another of our popular Saturday classes for union members who want to be lay representatives at grievance and disciplinary meetings at work.

We are looking late September or early October and the classes run from 10.30 to 3.30, travel expenses paid and a meal provided.

E-mail the branch secretary at branchsecretary@hotelworkers.org.uk to get your name on the list and receive info on this popular course.

American Hotel Workers union Unite-HERE has confirmed that they are paying for a full time London Hotels Organiser to work with London Citizens and our branch for the next year.
Polish speaking Marzena Cichon will start work on 27th August and will be at the 1st September branch meeting to introduce herself.

On 28th July London Mayor Boris Johnson will announce the new London Living Wage for 2008-2009 as £7.45 per hour.

Later this year all Central London Hotels with union members will be discussing how to approach employers on a joint basis.

At the 4th August branch meeting we will discuss principles and timetable.

In August and September we will be listening to what our members want our wage claim to be. You will be writing the demands.

We all live and work in London.

We all deserve at least the "london Living Wage".

Be at the meeting on 1st September.