Coalition backs Hilton hotel workers

Date: 25 September 2002

One of the key leaders of the pro-business NSW Coalition has stood up in Parliament and lambasted the Sydney Hilton Hotel management for the way it has treated its workforce.

The Hilton Hotel is in dispute with the LHMU Hotel Union over the redundancy rights of the nearly 500 workers it wants to sack, as part of the $400 million makeover of this downtown premium location hotel site.

Mr Chris Hartcher, the Deputy Leader of the Opposition Coalition Parties, stood up in parliament yesterday afternoon and called for the hotel to come to a satisfactory arrangement with its workforce.

"The capitalist system works only when there is a good understanding between the rights of capital and labour," Mr Hartcher said.

" The Coalition urges the owners of the Hilton Hotel to look again at the loyalty of its employees and acknowledge the efforts of its employees."

In front of a dozen LHMU Hotel Union members and supporters, sitting in the gallery of the NSW Parliament House, Mr Hartcher joined Labor government MPs in a matter-of-public-importance debate brought before parliament.

This was the second time in a month that a group of hotel workers had been up to the NSW Parliament House to lobby MPs for their support.

The Labor MP for Liverpool, Paul Lynch, lambasted the Hilton Hotel for taking the advantage that global Sydney offers its profit line but treating its workers as the losers in global Sydney.

" Sydney should not operate as an employment jungle. There should be much more decency and proper treatment of employees. Employers should have pride in the way they treat their employees."

Mr Lynch talked about meeting with one of the LHMU Hotel Union members, Vicente Salonga, who is one of his constituents - and will be badly effected by the shutdown of the Hilton Hotel.

" The treatment of Mr Salonga is a good example of why people like me think the Hilton is behaving so badly. After talking to Mr Salonga, I cannot understand what more the Hilton could require in a loyal employee than what it has in Mr Salonga."

The Labor MP for Wentworthville, Pam Allan, also cited one of her constituents who works at the Hilton Hotel, Sam Awada, and said that he and his fellow employees were getting a raw deal from the Hilton Hotels.

Ms Allan proposed a boycott by all MPs of the Hilton Hotel and called on the NSW Premier to ensure MPs and public servants did not stay at the Hilton or attend conferences at the Hilton Hotel until this dispute was resolved properly.

" I have a simple message for the Hilton Hotel in Sydney. Start looking at the education, health, welfare and civic responsibility that it has to its employees, and start making sure that the entitlements that the employees are being offered while redevelopment takes place are adequate."

The LHMU proudly represents 130,000 hard working women and men throughout Australia.

For info: Rebecca Reilly LHMU Hotel Union organiser 8204 7200 or 0425 214 598

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