LONDON’S BIG HOTELS

Grey River Argus, 15 February 1946, Page 5

LONDON’S BIG HOTELS

STAFFS EXPLOITED ? Labour Minister’s Charges LONDON, February 13. In the House of Commons the Labour Minister, Mr. Isaacs, attacked West End hotels where, he said, “If there is a suggestion you own a Trade Union ticket, you are out on your neck.” An uproar followed his refusal tp name more than one hotel. He said he communicated with hotels concerned, and told them that unless they put matters right, he would show them up. He was determined to get them to come to a settlement. Mr. Isaacs attack came when he was supporting the repeal of the Trade Disputes Act. He spoke of hotels where the highest possible prices were charged, but where staffs worked 60 to 80 hours weekly for from ten to thirty shillings weekly, and were told they could “make it up by tips.” Mr. Isaacs mentioned the case of a girl cashier at one hotel who was found to be the steward of her union, and to be collecting contributions. He said: “They sacked her late at night, and when she said she was from Ireland, and had nowhere to go, they threatened her with the police unless she got out.” He also gave an instance of the case of a hall porter at another hotel, who was sacked when he was asking a chambermaid to join the union. Mr. Isaacs then read a form which, he alleged, people were asked to fill in when they got a job at Oddenino’s Hotel. One passage in the form read: “I hereby declare I am not a member of any union connected with the hotel or restaurant business, and I promise not to join such a union without first notifying my employer.” Another passage stated: “I agree that, should I be absent from business through sickness or other cause, I shall not be entitled to any salary during the the period of such absence.” Mr. Isaacs • commented: “Oddeninos’ — Odds and Evens —odds I win, tails you lose. Those are the conditions.” Mr. Isaacs went on to say there was an organisation of employers banded together to prevent workers joining unions.

Mr. J. H. Lambert, Managing Director of Oddeninos, which is a famous Regent Street hotel, told the “Daily Mail” that the Minister’s remarks were absurd. Mr. Isaacs had got hold of an old employment form used by the “old” Oddenino, who had been dead ten years. He added that a disgruntled employee in possession of a copy of this discarded agreement hawked it around in all sorts of circles. “We have only one other copy of the old agreement left. We keep it as a souvenir. Our employees are' entitled to join any union they like and they have done so.”

MINISTER’S ALLEGATIONS REBUTTED. (Rec. 7.5.) LONDON, February 13. The general manager of Oddenino’s Hotel and Restaurant, who was referred to by the Minister of Labour, Mr. Isaacs, has issued a statement as follows: “The staff, of their own accord and free. will, have signed a statement that their conditions of employment have been exemplary and that they never have entered into any agreement of service restricting their association with any trade union.”. The Hotels’ and Restaurants’ Association have issued a statement expressing their astonishment at Mr. Isaac’s attack, and they consider that an apology is due to the Association They, denied that there is, or ever has tleen, any agreement among hotel proprietors to prevent their staffs joining a trade union if they wisli to do so.