from @UVWunion, 20 JAN 2017: “We have beaten Harrods, the richest and most prestigious department store in the world! 100% of the service charge will now go to staff! Thank you to everyone for your support and a big congratulations to the resilience and courage of our members, the Harrods restaurant workers, who have achieved this victory by joining United Voices of the World, getting organised and standing up to their employer’s outrageous practices.
Tag: uvw
Jon Bigger writes on direct and effective alternatives to the opportunism and whining of the liberal left
Since the Brexit and Trump results one thing that’s been glaringly obvious about any mainstream response is that it amounts to nothing but liberal bedwetting.
Article after article in the UK liberal press, day upon day has focused on what the terrible conservative forces will be getting up to and how we’re all under threat from the menace. Actually they’ve focused mainly on free movement which I’ll come to shortly. I want to talk this month about how we can focus on our radical response and how we need to have solidarity at our core.
13 JAN THE CANARY: With 2017 looking set to be a year of more political upheaval, music is perhaps the one thing that can cross into all walks of life. And a rapper from south-west London is doing just that. With some of the rawest and sharpest politically-motivated hip-hop around. The Canary caught up with the man, ‘Potent Whisper’, for a chat. About class, council estates, and Harrods…

@ClassWar2015
Hidden cameras, mass sackings and a climate of fear: Life as a Harrods restaurant worker… That poor old Al-Thani family, possibly one of the richest in the world as the royal family of Qatar, are short of cash as owning most of London’s most expensive properties is a tight business. Of course, profiting from owning Harrods isn’t easy. So why shouldn’t they keep the 12.5% service charge added to the Harrods restaurant bills for their own profit?
After all, their low-paid workers would only waste it on unaffordable housing and food. (more…)
UPDATED JAN 10: Protesters from the United Voices of the World Union (UVW), workers and sympathisers blockaded Harrods and Brompton Road to draw attention to the fact that the service charge added to Harrods restaurant bills went in to the pockets of the owners, the Qatari royal family, not to the waiters and restaurant staff.
Harrods – and its Qatari royal owners – continue to take a fine beating across the international media for allowing this: more protests are being planned… (more…)
Leaked Harrods email: “Dear all, As you may have seen, throughout this week there have been news reports referencing the system through which Harrods distributes service charge across our in-store restaurants. In relation to these reports, there is a potential protest planned by a third party organisation outside the store between 2pm and 6pm this Saturday 7th January…” (more…)
from United Voices of the World, Come and demand that Harrods stops stealing their waiter’s tips! Saturday, January 7, 2017 at 2 PM – 6 PM @ Harrods, 87-135 Brompton Road, SW1X 7XL London.
Harrods steals up to 75% of the 12.5% service charge it adds to the bills of diners in its luxury restaurants, in which a steak can cost up to £300.
That 75% means that every year the Qatari royal family, which owns Harrods, is taking up to £5,000 worth of tips from every chef, waiter and porter. Taking any percentage of the service charge, which customers think is going to the waiters, is unacceptable. Taking up to 75% is an utter disgrace. (more…)
Harrods faces strikes and protests over ‘unfair’ tips policy
from Politics.co.uk, 23 December 2016: Harrods is facing demonstrations and possible strike action by staff over its tips policy, Politics.co.uk can reveal. (more…)
From Plan C: “The struggle for decent wages and conditions within the ‘gig economy’ has entered a new phase recently with the Uber court victory and the announcement of a union-building drive by the IWGB amongst Deliveroo workers in London.
The initial energy of the summer’s spontaneous strikes is successfully being converted into long-term campaigns.
As part of this development, the Plan C Social Strike working group is excited to announce today that we are involved in supporting a new initiative: The Rebel Roo, a national bulletin for Deliveroo workers, produced by Deliveroo workers…” full article here
UPDATE 13 SEPT 2016 from IWGB: “The awful situation with UberEats pertains to one of their drivers Imran Siddiqui whose account was deactivated, we believe, as a result of protest. He noticed his account was deactivated around lunchtime Friday 26th August (strike day), and has not yet been able to log back in. We call for his immediate reactivation and reinstatement. We believe this is a suspension or sacking without due process, notice or procedure. It is appalling that UberEats can block someone’s means of income at a flick of a switch!” from IWGB (more…)