Trade union Unite is backing what could become the first strike action by workers at a major UK hotel chain in 40 years.
The union claims that its members employed by Village Hotels in Glasgow have ‘overwhelmingly’ voted for strike action in a dispute over pay.
Village Hotels has responded that the strike vote involved only 13 staff out of a team of 125, and insisted that its pay and conditions are ‘competitive’ within the hospitality industry.
In a statement released this week, Unite said that workers at Village Hotel Glasgow are seeking a pay increase to the real living wage rate of £12.60 an hour, and for that to be paid across the board regardless of age.
They are also demanding breaks for all workers and backdated wages for those under 21 years at the same rate as fellow workers at Village Edinburgh – who Unite said were being paid ‘significantly more’ for the same roles.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “This is a wealthy company which is short-changing staff. Instead of vilifying workers Village Hotel should get round the negotiating table and give these workers a fair deal.”
Unite added that workers at Village in Glasgow had already won a backdated pay rise after the union discovered a ‘significant wage disparity’ affecting young women, as well as backdated pay for unpaid training over a period of up to two years.
National lead for Unite hospitality, Bryan Simpson, added: “Strike action will inevitably cause huge disruption at Village Hotel in Glasgow but this dispute is entirely of the company’s own making.
“The ball is now with Village Hotel’s senior management,” said Simpson. “If they want to avoid the first hotel strike in nearly half a century, they must return to the negotiating table with a meaningful offer that includes equal pay, the real living wage, and paid breaks.”
The union has described the dispute as involving the ‘vast majority of the hotel’s food and beverage team’, who recorded a 100% vote in favour of strike action.
However, group director of operations and people at Village Hotels, Lindsay Southward, responded: “Of our 125 team members at Village Hotel Glasgow, only 13 voted for industrial action.”
Southward’s statement continued: “We are proud of the investment we make in our employees, which helps drive our employee engagement score and retention rate of 83% and 76% respectively – both significantly higher than industry averages.
“We continually review our remuneration policies and align with industry best practice, and offer competitive employee benefits, including two free memberships to Village Health & Wellness Clubs, subsidised food and drink, and discounts on all overnight stays.”
Village Hotels added that it had already carried out an internal grievance investigation into the pay disparity with the Edinburgh Village – and concluded that the higher rate of pay in the capital was due to the higher cost of living for staff based there.
Unite has said that it will now consult with Village Glasgow staff to determine when they wish to take industrial action, giving the company a ‘short window to come back to the negotiating table with a genuine and meaningful offer’.
