- Housekeepers at the global hotel chain’s Canary Wharf site have announced six weeks of strike action at the Radisson Blu.
- The strike, led by members of United Voices of the World (UVW), will begin on Sunday, 29th August and is set to be the UK’s longest hotel strike since 1979.
- Predominantly migrant women from Nepal have reported physical strain and stress linked to growing workloads.
- Workers are calling for the London Living Wage and a reduction in workload.
Working conditions have deteriorated since outsourcing giant WGC assumed responsibility for facilities across all nine Radisson Hotels in London in 2024.
From Sunday, 29th August, housekeepers at Radisson Blu in Canary Wharf will launch six weeks of strike action, in what could become the longest hotel strike in the UK in decades. The industrial action is being organised by grassroots union United Voices of the World (UVW).
The workers, who are predominantly Nepali migrant women, are employed by outsourcing giant WGC, which looks after cleaning operations across nine Radisson hotels in London.
The striking workers are demanding the London Living Wage of £13.85 per hour, up from their current £13 an hour. In addition, their contacts were recently changed from offering a guaranteed 40 hours to only 16 hours and the workers are demanding a return to the 40-hour guarantee. Their workloads have also drastically increased from 14 rooms per day to 24 with all workers reporting physical pain and injuries as a result.
The decline in working conditions began after outsourcing giant WGC took over the contract across all nine London hotels in 2024. Since then, long-serving housekeepers—some with decades of service—have seen their hours drastically cut, leaving them unable to make ends meet on poverty wages.
Doris Selembo, housekeeper for RB for over 30 years:
“We were all a bit nervous before the first strike on the 9th August but were so encouraged by the huge support from everyone at the union and all the people that came to join us on the day. After the first strike, we feel like we’re not alone anymore. Now the whole team is really excited for the 6 weeks of strikes. After deciding on the plan together we are all really motivated to keep fighting. We’re still fighting, and we’ll keep going until we get our demands met.”
Petros Elia, UVW General Secretary said:
“This dispute marks a significant moment in the fight for workers’ rights in London’s hospitality sector. Not only is it the first hotel works strike in nearly 50 years but is also now gearing up to be the longest hotel workers strike ever in the UK. These women workers are sending a clear message that exploitation will not go unchallenged. They deserve dignity, respect, and a living wage and UVW will support them all the way until victory.”
