Hundreds of Harrods workers prepare to strike over Christmas
Hundreds of Harrods workers are to be balloted for strike action over demands for fair pay and better working conditions, a union has said.
More than 250 workers across retail, restaurant, kitchen and cleaning departments in the luxury west London store plan to strike over the busy Christmas season, if their demands are not met.
The workers, represented by United Voices of the World (UVW) union, are calling for guarantees on fair pay rises in line with inflation, scrapping the cover charge in restaurants and the need for transparency over the distribution of service charge.
Lourenco Hernandes, a Harrods cleaner and UVW member, said: “Conditions in the cleaning department have been getting worse.
“People feel disrespected and bullied, and some of us, the part-time cleaners, are forced to work nine days in a row.
“People are struggling, stressed, and even getting sick from the strain. We want this changed to 5-day rotas.”
Mr Hernandes said one of the biggest problems cleaners face at the store is a shortage of staff.
He said: “We used to have some 60 cleaners on the early morning shift, and now there are less than half that. We’re doing more than double the work.
“Harrods is getting bigger, but the cleaning staff is shrinking, which is why it is now mandatory to work Bank Holidays, days off get refused, and so on.”
Union members have served Harrods with an official notice of intention to ballot, which threatens to take action during the retailer’s busiest season beginning on December 19.
Alice Howick, Harrods waiter and member of UVW, said: “There’s a real sense that everyone’s fed up and has had enough, and we’re ready to push for more.
“It feels like they throw us breadcrumbs and expect us to accept it.
“We are asking for Harrods to remove the cover charge, and we are asking for more transparency with regards to the distribution of the service charge, who’s getting it and what they are getting.
“We are supposed to get 100 per cent of the service charge and we also get cash tips but we believe there are people who aren’t entitled to the service charge who are getting it because the numbers just don’t seem to add up.”
Earlier this year, Harrods workers threatened to strike to secure a pay review, and migrant night cleaners were balloted to strike over holiday policies which restricted their ability to travel back home to their families. The policy was revoked before strike action took place.
Petros Elia, general secretary of UVW, said: “It beggars belief that our members at Harrods have to vote to strike yet again to be heard, respected and treated with dignity at work.
“The workers deserve recognition and a fair share. Without immediate action, Harrods may face a Christmas season of strikes.”
A Harrods spokesman said: “UVW is not a recognised union by Harrods and therefore we do not engage with this organisation on our policies. We continue to have open communication directly with our colleagues and our recognised Unions on pay and benefits.”
Pictured top: Harrods, in Brompton Road (Picture: Michael Craven)