hospitality industry Hospitality Workers workplace organising Brighton ---- Victory in
wages dispute! Following a prolonged campaign against a high-profile Brighton grocer, a
former cashier worker & BHW member has received ?1,250 in owed wages and unpaid holiday
entitlement. The worker, who was on a zero-hours contract, was sacked without notice
following 3 weeks when the bosses refused to give her any hours. She was also owed holiday
pay from the previous & current holiday year for leave she was prevented from taking. ----
Our demands were issued in a letter citing working time regulations & with a financial
breakdown of money owed, including a demand for average pay for the 3 weeks of denied
work. The grocery's owners attempted to retain control throughout the conflict by trying
to isolate and intimidate the former worker, cancelling meetings at the last moment,
withdrawing offers and threatening to sack staff. However, BHW stood firm and matters
recently came to a head when the worker, supported by a comrade, demanded a meeting in the
bosses' office. Meanwhile, a potential picket of 16 SolFed & BHW members made their
presence felt outside, armed with leaflets informing customers about the exploitative
conditions inside. Clearly anxious at the threat of direct action and the bad publicity
this would create, payment was immediately made in full.
BHW currently has members among the cashier staff and they'll be reporting on developments
at the store, which has earned a reputation for bullying management, illegal contracts and
a lack of dignity and respect for workers. This is the fourth successive wages victory for
BHW & SolFed and testifies to the strength and effectiveness of workers'
self-organisation, solidarity & direct action.
Brighton Hospitality Workers is an initiative of Brighton SolFed and was formed in
response to the widespread exploitation of workers, many of them immigrant, in Brighton?s
hospitality sector. We hold weekly advice & propaganda workshops, flyposting of busy areas
and a stall on Saturday afternoons where we distribute workers? rights info and raise the
profile of BHW by approaching workers in local businesses. Brighton SolFed has recently
dedicated their newsletter, Direct Action Solidarity, to BHW, and a PDF is available below.
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» (en) Britain, Solidarity Federation chalks up another wages win with Brighton Hospitality Workers