Workers picket Crest Hotel

Date: 05 December 2001

MIGRANT WORKERS PICKET CREST HOTEL THREATENED WITH THE SACK, WORRIED ABOUT INJURIES

The Crest Hotel, on Darlinghurst Rd, is well-known for its exclusive Korean-style Ginseng Bathhouse, providing a 75 minute Shiatsu massage, skin scrub and facials for $126 a time.

The workers - who get paid a minimum of $12 an hour - will picket the Darlinghurst Rd hotel from 8am today, ( December 5) calling on the management to respect their workers, consult fairly and not put an unhealthy workload on room attendants.

" The workers are scared there'll be injuries caused by back-breaking work and an unfair workload," Carmen Rojas, a Crest Hotel room attendant said today.

" We're already exhausted at the end of the shift, we worry the contractor wants more work out of us so their cut will equal more profit."

The LHMU Hotel Union is upset that members were handed contracts they couldn't read or understand.

" Many of these workers can't read or speak English - most are from Korea - but they have been handed English-only letters telling them the hotel doesn't want to employ them any more," Rebecca Reilly, the LHMU Hotel Union organiser said today.

Australian Housekeeping Systems (AHS) have won a contract at the 4-star Crest Hotel in Kings Cross where about 20 employees are resisting having their employment status transferred from direct employment to the contract cleaning tenderer.

" These room attendants are, right now, expected to clean 18 rooms a day while the hotel industry room norm in Sydney is between 12-to-14 rooms a day," Rebecca Reilly said.

" They have been exploited already - and they are afraid they will be exploited further by the outside contractor.

" To make a profit AHS will want these workers, who have given years and years of back-breaking service to the Crest management and their patrons, to take on an even heavier work-load.

" A good hotel lives on its reputation. That reputation can only be maintained and improved if there is high morale among the workforce. None of the actions by the management are conducive to maintaining workforce morale."

The ownership of the Crest Hotel changed recently, with a multi-million dollar refurbishment and expansion program announced.

" The multi-million dollar refurbishment plans will come to nought if the staff are unhappy and the quality of the work done for patrons suffers," Rebecca Reilly said.

The LHMU proudly represents more than 150,000 hard working women and men throughout Australia

For further comment:

Rebecca Reilly, NSW LHMU Hotel Union organiser, 0425 214 598

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