08.04.2024 / Press releases /

Cleaners descend on The Dorchester Hotel over the sacking of Peruvian cloak room attendant

• United Voices of the World, UVW, staged a protest inside the prestigious five-star hotel, The Dorchester, over the sacking of cloak room attendant Teresa Calixto, a migrant cleaner from Peru.

• Teresa, a UVW member, was subjected to seven hearings over five months, assaulted at work and asked to work through Christmas without a break before being sacked for trivial issues. She was paid poverty wages.
• Teresa is bringing legal proceedings against The Dorchester over unfair dismissal.
• UVW union believes leniency is seldom afforded to Black, brown or migrant workers, with the threat of dismissal constantly hanging over them.

Cloakroom attendant Teresa Calixto from Peru was sacked by the five star Dorchester hotel for allegedly failing to replenish a soap dispenser and pick up carpet fluff with a lint roll on one occasion. She was subjected to seven hearings before being summarily sacked on January 4 after having worked through Christmas without a break. 

In response to the sacking legal proceedings have been commenced by her trade union United Voices of the World and a peaceful protest took place on Saturday 6 April. The protest saw migrant cleaners from Latin America chanting “Justicia, Justicia” with mops, brooms and marching to the Dorchester hotel demanding to see the person in charge. 

The peaceful protest soon turned ugly, when security guards began to push, pull and drag cleaners,mainly women, to the floor leaving many shaken and severely bruised. Director of Events, Laura Prentice, who had been placed in charge of the Dorchester that weekend, was forced to intervene telling the security guards to “back away”.  The 5-star hotel called the police, who after speaking to UVW officials,  allowed the protest to continue outside the hotel. 

Laura Prentice informed UVW officials she would look into the allegations of assault by her security guards. The cleaners are considering legal action against the Dorchester. 

The prestigious central London hotel charges £121.00 for tea and  £816 per night for five-star service which is delivered to exacting standards by cleaners and cloakroom attendants like Teresa. Despite its extraordinary prices, workers like Teresa are paid poverty wage, way below the London Living Wage.

The Dorchester refused to reinstate her because of “the nature of her misconduct” and “the consequences for the hotel.” (sic) The hotel said it had ruled against taking an action short of dismissal due to the seriousness of the alleged offenses.

Teresa Calixto, sacked migrant cleaner and UVW member: 

“I have worked very hard and honestly, giving 100% of my effort and being there when the Dorchester needed me. I’m indignant about the way I’ve been treated. It’s been so hard, I’ve had seven disciplinary meetings and I’ve been left in total shock. I think my sacking was completely unjustified. I want justice and to clear my reputation.” 

Petros Elia, general secretary of UVW, said:

“Teresa’s dismissal is yet another example of how unscrupulous bosses treat low-paid, migrant and precarious workers. We see this time and time again in UVW where our members are subjected to constant disciplinaries and routinely dismissed for minor issues or misunderstandings, like eating leftover food. The fact is that were it not for Teresa being a 

low- paid worker and a Latin American cleaner with limited English she would have probably kept her job. In our experience, leniency is seldom afforded to Black, brown or migrant workers, with the threat of dismissal constantly hanging over them. These abuses of power should be publicly named. Teresa deserves to be respected and reinstated by The Dorchester and we are supporting her in her fight.“

Notes for editors

• Highlights of the protest >>
• Teresa talks about her experience >>         

For interviews contact the UVW comms team.

Isabel: 07706 987443
Jim: 07749 765264

E-mail: comms@uvwunion.org.uk 

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