Welcome to London

1. It’s REALLY expensive

You could stay in New York at the Intercontinental Times Square hotel for almost £300 less than their counterpart London Park Lane hotel. AND their staff are paid £11 more an hour. No wonder they’re celebrating.

2. It pays a pittance

America yet again shows us how it’s done by paying a living wage to NYC hospitality staff. London hotels make £10.5 million profit every single day while its staff often slog through 60 hour weeks for the minimum wage of £6.31 an hour.

3. While making unbelievable profits

The hotel industry makes profits of £10.5 million per day in London alone. Wellesley Hotel in Knightsbridge charged a guest £75.00 for three bottles of San Pellegrino water. That’s the same as ELEVEN HOURS’ work on minimum wage.

4. It doesn’t care

Hospitality staff give world class service to its guests in one of the richest cities in the world all the while relying on tips to top up their low pay, with no secure hours or weekly wage to depend on.

5. It’s driven by greed

With a colossal 135,000 rooms and full beds nearly 6 days a week, business is booming in London hotels. InterContinental Hotel Groups (owners of the Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn chains) this week announced that their profits were up 8.7%. Greed at the top is hoarding this wealth from being shared with the people who keep the hotel running.

6. So it’s incredibly unfair

In 2013 London & Partners estimated that the hotel economy was worth monumental ÂŁ15.9 billion and yet not one London hotel pays its staff a living wage, leaving tens of thousands of people in working poverty.

7. Pushing staff to their limits

“The dishwasher man sticks out in my mind because he works 60 hour weeks without a break, for £6.31 an hour,” one London hotel worker confessed.

8. And going back on its promises

In his election campaign Boris Johnson swore to bring the living wage to London – an empty promise that he has failed to deliver. One of the world’s richest cities and tens of thousands of Londoners in working poverty? That’s crazier than your hair, Boris.

But we can do something about it

Unite is calling for all hospitality workers to be paid the London Living Wage and treated with decency, dignity and respect in the workplace.

Today (Friday 8 August) is a day of action to make London a living wage city, to get our hospitality workers off poverty pay – and put some pride back into our capital.

The workforce deserves nothing less – ÂŁ8.80 per hour and no gimmicks like topping up with tips!

To support our campaign you can sign the epetition, or if you’re staying in London, leave a comment card backing £8.80.

Britain needs a pay rise.
#livingwage