Frank Hayes, Workers' Party representative in Wicklow, has condemned the recent blatant attempt by the hotels industry to worsen the conditions of both their full time and casual staff.   Speaking at a meeting in Bray, Mr. Hayes said, "the hotel industry traditionally has had some of the worst pay and conditions in the country. Long hours, split shifts, minimum security have been the traditional hallmarks of the 'hospitality' industry.   Over the last five years, as more and more of the workers in the industry were foreign nationals, the possibility of gross exploitation by the bosses grew".

“Many hotel/bar workers are not in any trade union and most casual and part-time workers are afraid to join a union in case they are fired. However despite this major difficulty “hospitality” workers did have some protection in the form of the Hotels Joint Labour Committee (JLC). The Hotels JLC sets minimum terms and conditions for hotel workers outside Dublin, Cork and Dun Laoghaire – which must then be ratified by the Labour Court in the form of an Employ­ment Regulation Order (ERO) before it becomes legally binding.

“However the Irish Hotels Federation took a High Court action to force the Labour Court to quash its recent ERO and give consideration to a submission from the IHF on  pay and conditions before deciding on a new ERO. Furthermore it sought to question the very constitutional basis for the JLC / ERO procedure. While the action was ultimately settled by agreement between the parties the very fact that it was taken shows the mindset of these people”

Concluding his remarks Frank Hayes stated: “The services sector is notorious as a low wage sector. The Workers Party calls on the ICTU and its affiliated unions to prioritise this issue in any negotiations for a new national agreement. The legal status of the JLCs and the EROs must be copperfastened, and the plight of the low-paid brought to the forefront of Union consciousness and union action.

14th February 2008