Irish union to picket hotels

The catering workers' branch of Irish general union SIPTU is planning to picket a number of Dublin hotels over pay and working conditions this summer.

SIPTU estimates there are up to 30,000 catering workers in the metropolitan area of Dublin who currently have no legal protection and receive an average wage of £2 to £3.50 per hour.

Norman Croke, secretary of the hospitality branch of SIPTU, said the so-called Whistle Blower Campaign would target some newer, non-unionised hotels in Dublin which did not match the terms and conditions offered by their longer-established neighbours.

In addition to picketing hotels, the campaign would involve lobbying the Irish government, when it takes on the EU presidency this July, to insist that only hotels offering decent terms and conditions be used to accommodate EU visitors, he said.

Further action will include union members "forwarding guests" to unionised hotels.

A union official has been appointed to run an education campaign to make catering workers aware of their rights.

Mr Croke says the campaign was designed "to prevent the hotel, restaurant and catering industry becoming the largest low-paid ghetto in our state".

Some hoteliers, however, claim hotels failing to match widely accepted terms and conditions would struggle to survive anyway, thanks to the principles of supply and demand.

"There is a shortage of hotel staff at the moment, and in Dublin competition is such that if a hotel doesn't pay employees the going rate, they will go elsewhere," said Michael Governey, general manager of the Conrad International Dublin. "If you don't treat staff properly you don't succeed - it's as simple as that."