Protest levelled at low-wage luxury hotels in London on World Tourism Day

27-09-2013

On United Nations-designated World Tourism Day, 27 September, IUF-affiliated UNITE has organised protest action outside two of London's top hotels - the Radisson Edwardian May Fair and the Holiday Inn Mayfair - to highlight the plight of low-paid hotel staff, many of whom are women and from ethnic minorities.

UNITE said that while tourism receipts in one of the world's most expensive cities are soaring, there are currently no employers within London's hospitality sector which pay the London 'living wage' rate of £8.55 an hour. Many of its members are forced to live on little more than the national minimum wage.

The protest is focussed on two hotels where UNITE believes "things should be different".

The International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers' Associations (IUF) is an international federation of trade unions representing workers employed in agriculture and plantations; the preparation and manufacture of food and beverages; hotels, restaurants and catering services; all stages of tobacco processing. The IUF is composed of 394 affiliated organizations in 126 countries representing a combined membership of around 2,6 million.

How to contact the IUF:
Email: [email protected]
Post: Rampe du Pont-Rouge, 8, CH-1213, Petit-Lancy (Switzerland)
Phone: + 41 22 793 22 33
Fax: + 41 22 793 22 38