logo
Glasgow Village Hotel staff set to take strike action

Glasgow Village Hotel staff set to take strike action

Glasgow Times01-08-2025
A number of staff members at Village Hotel will take action on August 2, as they claim that they are not being paid real living wage and are not being paid for breaks.
Workers also say they want equal pay as some younger members of the team are only being paid £10.
(Image: Image of Village Hotel) Unite members returned with an overwhelming mandate for industrial action on July 15 as 100% voted yes to strike action on an 81% turnout.
Unite believes that the industrial action will be the first strike at a major hotel since the chambermaids industrial action at the Grosvenor House Hotel, London in 1979.
There will be a public demonstration in support of the strike at 3pm on Sunday, August 2.
READ NEXT: Everything you need to know about Spider-man 4 filming in Glasgow
Sharon Graham, Unite general secretary, said: 'Unite will have the back of our Village Glasgow hotel workers as they begin historic strike action.
"At the heart of this dispute is a fight over decent pay and working conditions. This is a wealthy company which is short-changing its hardworking staff. Unite will support these workers 100% every step in their fight."
Bryan Simpson, national lead for Unite's hospitality sector, added: 'Our members at Village Hotels are taking this landmark industrial action because they are sick and tired of unpaid breaks and poverty pay which discriminates based on age.
'The owners of Village Hotels have more than enough money to pay these workers what they deserve. If they want to stop the first strike at a major hotel in over 45 years, they should get round the table and negotiate with Unite and its members."
(Image: Image of Village Hotel) READ NEXT: Man due in court after £2k worth of alcohol 'stolen' from Glasgow store
However, Lindsay Southward, group director of operations and people at Village Hotels, said that the hotel continually review their remuneration policies and align with industry best practice, as well as offer a competitive range of employee benefits.
Lindsay added: 'Our hotel will open as usual for guests and members to enjoy our full range of facilities during the industrial action.
"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."
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Gatwick baggage screeners to strike from next week
Gatwick baggage screeners to strike from next week

The Independent

time2 hours ago

  • The Independent

Gatwick baggage screeners to strike from next week

A trade union has announced a strike at Gatwick airport from next week which it claims will put all departing flights at risk of disruption. Unite said baggage screeners employed by ICTS will walk out in a dispute over pay from August 22-26 – which includes a bank holiday weekend – and August 29 to September 2. The union said the workers are among the lowest paid at the West Sussex airport, earning 'just above the minimum wage'. Meanwhile, ICTS made a profit before tax of £6.1 million in 2024, a 46.9% increase compared to the previous year, according to the union. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: 'ICTS has more than enough money to offer these workers a fair pay rise. 'Not doing so is just corporate greed. 'ICTS' Gatwick workers will receive Unite's complete backing for as long as it takes during their strikes for fair pay.' Unite said 'all flights out of Gatwick will face disruption', and industrial action 'will intensify if the dispute is not resolved'. Gatwick was approached for a comment.

Strike ballot for 500 Stagecoach bus drivers in pay dispute
Strike ballot for 500 Stagecoach bus drivers in pay dispute

BBC News

time5 hours ago

  • BBC News

Strike ballot for 500 Stagecoach bus drivers in pay dispute

Hundreds of bus drivers in the north-west of England could go on strike next month in a row over Unite trade union said members working for Stagecoach in Birkenhead, Chorley and Preston were demanding a pay rise to fix "huge disparities" between rival bus strike ballot, open until 28 August, will see 500 drivers being asked whether they would support taking industrial said union representatives had rejected an offer which would have seen drivers in Preston and Chorley offered "the highest hourly rates in Lancashire". 'Pay offer rejected' According to Unite, Arriva drivers in Birkenhead earn £2.69 an hour more than Birkenhead Stagecoach drivers and £2.13 an hour more than Stagecoach drivers in Chorley and general secretary Sharon Graham said: "Stagecoach can well afford to put forward an offer that tackles the unfair pay disparities that exist not only between different companies but different garages at the same firm."Unite will be providing maximum support to our Stagecoach members at Birkenhead, Chorley and Preston."Matt Davies, managing director of Stagecoach Merseyside, Cheshire and South Lancashire said: "Trade union representatives have rejected our offer of a 3.2% pay rise covering 12 months, with a further 3.2% from May next year."This would ensure that our Preston and Chorley sites continue to offer the highest hourly rates in Lancashire."Mr Davies said Stagecoach was "keen" to hold further talks, and to avoid "damaging" industrial action. Read more stories from Lancashire, and Merseyside on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC North West on X.

'It's unfair': Young Glasgow workers revolt over wage discrimination
'It's unfair': Young Glasgow workers revolt over wage discrimination

The Herald Scotland

time6 hours ago

  • The Herald Scotland

'It's unfair': Young Glasgow workers revolt over wage discrimination

Shona Thomson, aged 20, and Shakeira Nyumba, aged 18, work as part of the food and beverage team at the Village Hotel in Glasgow Both of the young women earn £10.42 an hour and are currently striking to demand fairer pay. The UK's Minimum Wage (the 'National Living Wage') laws still allow workers to be paid less based on their age, even if their job, skills, and experience match those of colleagues. While the minimum wage for workers over 21 is £12.21, it is £10 for workers aged 18-20 and £7.55 for workers aged 16 and 17. Speaking from the picket line, Ms Thomson told The Herald: "We found out a while ago that Edinburgh workers [at the Village] who are under 21, were getting £11.44 and, not only that, over 21s that work in the same Village branch as us were getting £12.60 to do the exact same job. READ MORE: Young people forced into debt due to low wage rates Scottish Government urged to introduce minimum income 'Our main priority is just to receive equal pay across the board. I feel like I'm not being paid what I'm worth and I'm doing the exact same job as older colleagues. 'We work really hard and sometimes harder than people who are older than 21 and it seems a bit unfair for doing the exact same thing and getting paid less,' she said. Shona currently attends a private college and finds that the majority of her earnings are spent on her education. The 20-year-old said: 'I do receive help from student funding and things like that but that's got to be paid back eventually so overall having a low wage is obviously not great for having to do that." She also explained that she had to move back home with her parents as she could no longer afford the cost of a flat with her friend. Ms Thomson said: 'I also had to pay rent for a while on my own so it ate into that. It sounds as if it's not a massive amount of money we are asking for, but, at the end of the month, it could make all the difference." The 20-year-old also said she has to factor in other monthly payments she has to make such as car and fuel money and the cost of living. 'All that becomes so much more difficult because I'm on such a low wage,' she said. 'All my money it isn't spent on luxury things. At the end of the month, all my money is already gone. "Things like going out with my friends, normal things that a twenty year old should be doing, is difficult money-wise," she added. Living with her family in Glasgow, 18-year-old Shakiera Nyumba is about to start university. However, she is unable to move out as she cannot afford student accommodation due to her low wage. "I have quite a big family so it's hard to have my own space," she told The Herald, "During exam season, it's hard to study alone so my plan was to move out when I get into Uni but I now can't do that financially because I don't get much money from the Village." 'I'm starting my driving lessons and that's another cost I need to consider. It's just a lot and I don't get much at all from my job,' said Ms Nyumba. Their strike action comes after trade union Unite members returned an overwhelming mandate for industrial action when 100 per cent voted yes to strike action on an 81 per cent turnout last month. Lindsay Southward, Group Director of Operations & People at Village Hotels said: "We are proud of our track record as an employer and offer our team a highly competitive package that includes significant benefits and incentives, contributing to our market-leading employee satisfaction and engagement scores. "This commitment to our team is also reflected in the fact that only a small percentage of employees in Glasgow have opted to strike." A new report from the Scottish Trades Union Congress found that two thirds of young people are racking up thousands of pounds in debt due to low youth wage rates. Out of the 198 young workers surveyed between May and June this year, only 46% said they could always afford the basics in life, such as food, transport and bills. In July last year, Keir Starmer's Labour government committed to removing "discriminatory age bands for adults", however, the UK Government has not yet put a date on when these age bands will be removed. Both women have zero hour contracts which they said creates more wage instability. Ms Myumba says she does not get many shifts at the Village which means her monthly salary holds her back from going out with friends. 'It's hard to have a social life,' Ms Nyumba said, "I could say I'm free the full week, they could give me nothing but then if I say I do have something planned they will put me on rota." Ms Thomson shares the same frustration, particularly when it comes to short notice on shift availability. 'It's on a weekly basis that we even get shifts," Ms Thomson explained, "I know with me being in college I can only work one day during the week so normally it's only a five hour six hour shift a week. 'It's also frustrating because when I'm able to work more, like during Summer for example, I know I went three weeks without working a single shift when I know this is the time that I need to be working and building up money when I'm not in college.' There are currently 30,000 employees aged 16-17 and 280,000 employees aged 18-24 in Scotland. The report states that these workers are disproportionately likely to be on low pay as more than a third of employees (36.2%) aged 18-24 in Scotland were paid less than the real Living Wage in 2024, compared to less than 1 in 10 in all other age groups. Those aged 18-20 currently earn less than 82% of the national minimum wage, while 16–17-year-olds currently earn less than 62% of the national minimum wage. In April this year, the minimum wage for over 21s rose by 6.7% from £11.44 to £12.21. The minimum rate for apprentices and workers under 18 also went up by 18% from £6.40 to £7.55. For 18–20-year-olds the rate went up 16.2% from £8.60 to £10. The report argues that whilst this marks progress, these rates are 'clearly still short of the rates for older workers'. Asked what they would like to see change, Ms Thomson said: "I'd just like fair treatment in the work place. The equal pay mainly affects young women in our branch as well." 25-year-old Josh Morris is a healthcare worker and a former STUC Youth Committee Chair. He told The Herald of his own difficult experience of low pay and being on zero hour contracts. Mr Morris said: "It is quite precarious. In the past, I've worked 70-80 hours per week and you didn't know what shifts you are working and the pay was low. "I've had to work between three different jobs to get my wage up to something I could live on and get by on as you don't know what the next week holds," he said, "It's really difficult to plan your life." The 25-year-old worker would like to see the Labour government stick to their promise of abolishing age band rates as well as further action on improving workers' contracts. He said: "They should go by the simple principle of same rate of pay for the same work. I'd also like to see a recommitment to the abolition of zero hour contracts. I think we have seen a softening of that. "Us in the trade union movement would say any zero hour contract is exploitative so I think we are still waiting to see what the government says on this," he said. The UK Government has said it is taking steps to address issues with zero-hour contracts, specifically focusing on ending "one-sided flexibility". They are proposing measures such as guaranteeing hours for those who work regular shifts and ensuring reasonable notice for shift changes. Minister have also said the remit for the Low Pay Commission to remove age wage bands "will drive forward the Government's commitment to delivering a single adult pay band." The commission will consult with employers, trade unions and workers to "narrow the gap" between the 18–20-year-old rate of the National Minimum Wage and the National Living Wage and "will put forward recommendations on achieving a single adult rate in the years ahead." Recommendations are made by the LPC each October – for minimum wage rates to apply from the following April.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store