There small hotels ase over the country: But there is a growing trend of monopolisa1302 At the top of the pyramid Trusthouse Porte, with well over hotel rooms, and Metropolitan, WIlO 10,000. The number of small hotels is falling redevelopment, growing costs more. regulations have put many out of business.
the slump developed, firms which been hit have often sold hotels to help their general problems. The classic case is J Lyons, which sold off its hotels cluding the Cumberland and the Regen alace hotels in London - for Pittance. The buyer Trusthouse Forte.
Despite the economic climate, the Care huge (see table). profits are born of one thing only exploitation on a vast workers and restaurant workers are overseas their working and This effecof unlimited Coral Leisure Rank OrganisaAround 14 per cent of hotel tion 25 per cent of EMI (now Thorn)
Trom Comfort the industry Trafalgar House British Transport Hotels ROWO Savoy * Trading profit ones are Filipinos, tuguese and Ilallalts.
SOLID FOR VICTORY 2,170.8 -:139.0 -366.0 24.8 537.8 43.8* .869.5 10.8 18.5 2.5 946.1 43.7 38.7 0.3 5.3 1.4 27.1 0.5 * Source: Vickers da Costa employs a higher proportion of the worst jobs, such as washing immigrant workers than any The main nationalities Spaniards, PorA large proportion of them are working in jobs that involve no contact with the public 20% 8% 6,455 14% : 12% 2,175 12% 6% - 58% n.a. 1,745 1,545 - 28% 4% - 66% 100% 22% 65% - 53% :895 up, as chambermaids, etc.
workers are often in the worst position vis-a-vis their employers. Many of them are illegal' immigrants or without proper work permits.
FABLE Once upon a time there was something some people had invented that could kill everyone and destroy the whole world.
And I decided I was someone who could decide on behalf of everyone else whether this should happen.
And I didn't know much about what this thing was;
but I decided I wanted to be Leader and decide everything for everyone else.
So I saw to it that I got appointed.
And in my name I allowed other people, who knew more about annihilating than I, to destroy the whole world and everyone living on it without consulting them.
Pat Arrowsmith Written after watching Panorama re the US Presidential election - 7.7.80, workers, it is notoriously difficult to unionise them. Union membership in the industry is cent workforce. Both main general unions - the TGWU airl the GMWU - have made sper dic attempts at unionisation vith uneven results.
As the report points out, conditions for hotel and cateras the recession starts to make things more alnicult lor une employers to sustain their luxury' profits. The need to push forward the unionisation of hotel and catering workers is urgent.
Struggles like those with the Garners Steak House chain, the Trusthouse Forte 'Night Out' nightspot in Birmingham, and Grand -Metropolitan Hotels show that such unionisation battles will be long and difSince they will be undertaken by groups of workers who are the most vulnerable to state and employer harassment the maximum solidaiit! TrON other trade unionists will be required.
----- pull-quotes -----
Who owns the hotels?