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29.08.2025 / News / radisson blu

Radisson Blu Housekeepers Call Off Six-Week Strike After Historic Win

Housekeepers at the Radisson Blu in Canary Wharf have won a landmark victory, calling off a planned six-week strike after securing every one of their demands. The breakthrough, led by a team of mostly migrant women from Nepal, is being hailed as the first major win for hotel workers in England since 1979.

The workers, members of UVW, had already staged a two-day walkout earlier this month in what was the first strike of hotel staff in nearly half a century. They were set to escalate into six full weeks of continuous action—the longest strike the sector had seen in 46 years. Instead, following negotiations with outsourcing giant WGC, which manages services at nine Radisson Blu hotels in London, the company agreed to a full package of concessions.

The deal includes pay rises and back pay, reduced workloads, and the restoration of guaranteed minimum hours, reversing cuts imposed earlier this year.

For Doris Selembo, who has worked at Radisson Blu for more than 30 years, the win was transformative. “The whole team stood together and achieved this victory. We are excited for the future and grateful because WGC are finally listening to us.”

How they organised

The victory did not come overnight. For years, housekeepers endured poverty wages, exhausting room quotas, and disrespect. But instead of suffering in silence, they reached out to UVW. With meetings and materials translated into Nepali, the workers organised one conversation at a time. Step by step, they built near-total union density, with almost every housekeeper a UVW member.

When management refused to engage, the team took the boldest step any worker can take: they walked out. Picket lines outside the luxury hotel were loud, visible, and impossible to ignore. With support from other unions and the local community, the housekeepers made themselves a force management could no longer dismiss.

The decision to escalate to a six-week strike sealed their power. Faced with total unity and the looming costs of disruption, WGC caved.

A blueprint for workers everywhere

This victory is more than a workplace win—it is proof that low-paid, migrant, and precarious workers are not just “organisable” but capable of leading the way.

If you’re struggling with poverty pay, dangerous workloads, or disrespect, learn from these women: you can win too. The Radisson Blu housekeepers were told they were replaceable. Instead, they proved they were unstoppable. All it took was courage, unity, and the will to fight. Now it’s your turn.

👉 Join UVW, organise your workplace, and fight for dignity and justice: uvwunion.org.uk

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