“My children deserve more”

In part 2 of our UNITELive series, in which we explore why Britain’s workers deserve a pay rise, we peer into the life of a Unite member who works in a low-pay industry rolling in profits – the hotel sector.

 
Janice Moore* works long, hard days in one of the most gruelling jobs imaginable. In the housekeeping service of a large hotel chain in London, Moore works hours on end for a pittance, barely above the minimum wage.

 
Even though her job is very physically demanding, what she says is most unnerving is the lack of support she receives from management.

 
“Almost any job can be bearable if you have a boss who supports you in the duties you do,” she explains. “But in our industry, it’s a constant battle. It’s very, very difficult. You build up a good workforce when you build up a good team. But since we are on such low wages, they don’t treat us with any respect.”

 
Moore says that cost of living increases would not have fazed her, had it not been for stagnating wages.
“It’s not so much that everything has become so much more expensive – and it has – it’s the fact that my wages have not kept up,” she says. “Buying food, for instance, it’s very difficult. You always have to budget every little thing.”

 
“When you come home with your wages, you pay your rent, you pay your gas and electricity, you pay your bills and buy some food, maybe a bus pass, and you have nothing left,” Moore adds. “Some months, I even struggle to pay for those basics.”

 
Moore notes it’s very disheartening to see the riches all around her and the obvious profits hotels reap, all the while management saying that they cannot afford to pay their workers more.

 
“It gets you very down. What they pay, it’s not enough for a family to live on.”

 
Moore says everything she does, she does for her children.

 
“My children deserve more. A pay rise would help them go to good schools and universities,” she adds. “That’s why I think everyone in our low-wage economy deserves a pay rise. Not necessarily for us, but for the future, the future of our families. It would help our society as a whole if we invest in the next generation.”

 
To find out more about the upcoming October 18 TUC rally, Britain needs a pay rise, visit Unite’s campaign site, here.

 
*name changed to protect privacy