hospitality

On Saturday March 22nd members of Brighton SolFed and Brighton Hospitality Workers (BHW) staged a well-attended picket of a local Travelodge hotel. This was an opening action in support of two of the hotel's former workers - both members of BHW - who were demanding full payment of owed holiday entitlement for annual leave they were prevented from taking. One of the workers had already had owed wages paid in full, following a demand letter from SolFed & BHW to the agency that held the staff contract at Travelodge. The agency - Jani-King GB - were an international recruitment exploiter based in the US with an appalling record of non-payment of wages & holiday pay.

On Saturday 22nd March members of the Brighton Hospitality Workers and Brighton Solidarity Federation picketted a prominent Brighton hotel over unpaid overtime owed to members of staff.

The hotel has since promised to ensure the overtime owed is fully paid. We are therefore not currently naming the hotel, although we intend to escalate our campaign should they fail to pay the workers involved.

After several months of organising, Brighton Hospitality Workers are beginning to deliver the goods. Three members recently approached us with issues concerning unpaid wages and holiday entitlement from former employers, all with employment agencies and on zero-hours contracts. Demand letters were sent and within 48 hours one worker had wages paid in full, amounting to £264. However, the bosses were dragging their heels over paying holiday entitlement for untaken leave and another demand letter was sent, again resulting in payment of £95. Another worker’s demand letter resulted in payment of £358 in owed wages, although this should have been £385 and we’re not giving up on this. The third worker, who was with the same scumbag agency, is still owed £176 in unpaid holiday entitlement after the demand letter was ignored.

Encouraged by the positive response to our recent publicity campaign, Brighton Hospitality Workers are holding our first open meeting. This will be an opportunity for workers to meet, share experiences and discuss how we can collectively tackle issues in the workplace, no matter how seemingly minor. We’ll be promoting the benefits of workers’ self-organisation in a sector where lack of employment rights and exploitation are commonplace. Towards mutual support and solidarity - all welcome!

Monday 2nd December, 6-8 pm at the Cowley Club, 12 London Road, Brighton BN2 4JA (near to St. Peter’s Church & opposite Co-Op supermarket).

Brighton Hospitality Workers will also be holding a stall and visiting workplaces in the North Laine on Saturday 30th November, 3-5 pm. Email brighton@solfed.org.uk or contact 07561 185 204 to get involved.

Curzon Head Office has decided to close tomorrow, Friday, in anticipation of the Curzon Workers' planned communications blockade. So workers have decided to move forward the action to TODAY, THURSDAY. Please could you start doing your stuff!

https://www.facebook.com/events/563819923691164/

Curzon workers, who have been fighting a high-profile battle for union recognition, are requesting a communications blockade of the Curzon head office. 

Please call the following managers and demand a living wage and an end to zero hours contracts for the workforce:

Rob Arthur, Operations Director: 0207 438 9521
Lynne Franks, HR Consultant: 0207 438 9500 & 07949696244

October saw the launch of the Brighton Hospitality Workers, formed in response to the many workplace issues endured by SolFed members and their colleagues working in this sector, arguably the most exploitative in the city. BHW plans to bring hospitality workers into regular contact with one another to promote workers’ rights, solidarity and mutual support in this the most precarious and low paid of industries.

BHW has been approached by workers receiving cash-in-hand wages as little as £3 p/hour, working 10-hour shifts without breaks and being hired and fired at will. The initiative was launched with a poster campaign and visits to some of the most notorious employers, where contact was made with front-of-house and kitchen staff to discuss their rights at work and promote the benefits of organisation in combating illegal practice and poor pay and conditions.

Trabajadores de Starbucks en Chile preparan para hacer huelga

La North London Solidarity Federation manda toda nuestra solidaridad a los trabajadores Chilenos de Starbucks que estan mobilizando para una huelga por asuntos de convenios.

Starbucks, aunque le gusta vestirse como un empresa responsable y social, es un ejemplo del sector global de servicios, cada vez mas precario y mal pagado. Organisandose y preparando por accion industrial, los trabajadores Chilenos de Starbucks hace un inspiracion a trabajadores de hosteleria del mundo.

A los trabajadores: solidaridad total del Reino Unido. Vuestra lucha es global.

In English

The North London Solidarity Federation extends our heartiest solidarity to the Chilean Starbucks workers who are preparing to strike as part ongoing contract negotiations.

A pub worker and South London SF have together won 6 weeks in stolen wages after a campaign of direct action and threatening pickets of a London pub. Laura was employed by ‘The Hartley’ pub in South London. She was let go after she refused to work because she hadn't been paid for 6 weeks - owed over £700 dating back to mid-September.

Laura got tired of waiting and spoke to South London Solidarity Federation (SLSF). The first step of the campaign was for Laura and members of SLSF to deliver a letter demanding her back-pay on Friday 19th. While waiting for action from the boss, Laura organised a mass phone-in of her employer with her friends and family. The boss was clearly rattled: