Will Warriors back Hilton workers?

Date: 04 October 2002

NZ Warriors fans flying to Sydney for the big football game have been asked to show their support for striking Sydney Hilton Hotel workers.

Kiwi-émigrés and other Pacific Islanders are walking the picket line on Saturday, and while they are rooting for the NZ team, they want the NZ fans staying at the Sydney Hilton Hotel to lend them their support.

" By some accounts the Hilton Hotel has overbooked NZ fans coming over to Sydney for the Labor Day weekend football clash," Mark Boyd, LHMU Hotel Union Assistant Secretary said.

" They're trying to pump up last minute profits before shutting down in 8 weeks time - but our people are concerned that because of the strike, with short-staffing and inexperienced strike-breakers running the hotel, there could be long queues and a lot of frustration.

" We're not going to try to stop the fans from entering the hotel - because we know there is a shortage of rooms in Sydney because of the football game.

" But we want to explain why there may be problems at the Sydney Hilton Hotel," Mark Boyd said.

" We're hoping the fans will tell the Hotel management that the way they are treating their workforce sucks.

" On Saturday take a union sticker from the workers outside the hotel - and wear it while you sign the hotel register," Mark Boyd requested.

" Then leave a note for management as you sign out, after the football game, telling them that their workplace policies suck."

NZ Secretary of Hotel Union

Mark Boyd pointed out that not only are there a lot of Kiwi's on strike at the Hilton - the NSW LHMU Hotel Union's secretary, Annie Owens, is a Kiwi and will be rooting for the Warriors on the weekend.

(However, in a moment of honesty, Mark Boyd also admitted that the senior Sydney Hotel Union organiser, Rebecca Reilly, is a mad keen Roosters fan and will be grimly watching all those Warriors supporters arriving at the Hilton Hotel.)

The Sydney Hilton Hotel is spending $400 million on an 18-month facelift but is not prepared to pay their loyal workforce a good retrenchment deal - let alone offer the workers their own jobs back when the hotel re-opens in 2003.

" They are getting rid of their staff at the worst time of the year, just weeks before Christmas and they are offering a retrenchment deal which is less than half what most Sydney workers can expect in a retrenchment package," Mark Boyd said.

The LHMU Hotel Union members have huge community support for their campaign - and they're hoping NZ footie fans will extend their support over the weekend - and tell the management that they back the workers.

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

For more info about Saturday's Sydney Hilton Hotel strike:

Mark Boyd LHMU Hotel Union NSW Assistant Secretary, 8204 7245 or 0425 214 755 or

Rebecca Reilly LHMU Hotel Union organiser 8204 7260 or 0425 214 598 or

Jagath Bandara LHMU Hotel Union organiser 8204 72 51 or 0425 214 618

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