Walkout over pay and conditions expected on 19 December as company refuses to engage with union

~ Cristina Sykes ~

Hundreds of workers across Harrods’ retail, restaurant, kitchen and cleaning departments have returned a resounding 95% yes vote to strike action in the Christmas season. The potential strikes come in response to rising grievances, particularly over staff shortages and overwork, guarantees on fair pay rises in line with RPI inflation, scrapping the cover charge in restaurants.

Many benefits, like the Christmas bonuses and voluntary bank holiday work for cleaning staff, have been whittled away, while the world-famous luxury London store handed out £180 million in bonuses to its owners and awarded a £2.1 million salary to its Managing Director.

In a press release, Harrods reiterated its refusal to engage with the workers or the United Voices of the World union representing them. The company has been in the spotlight over serious allegations of rape and sexual abuse against its former owner, Mohammed Al Fayed.

“We are earning the living wage and denied basic benefits such as a food allowance, which should be commonplace in a company accumulating millions of pounds in profit year on year” said waiter Alice Howick. “Striking is a last resort for us and will only happen if Harrods continues to be unreasonable in responding to our demands”.

This summer, migrant night cleaners were forced to ballot for a strike over restrictive new holiday policies that made it difficult for them to visit families in countries like India. These unfair guidelines were ultimately revoked.