23.09.2024 / Press releases /

Current Harrods employee who complained of sexual harassment this year says “perpetrators are being covered’

• A UVW member and current Harrods employee, who complained of sexual harassment this year,  has accused the luxury department store of treating ‘victims like perpetrators and perpetrators of such being covered’, whist continuing a culture ‘secrecy, corruption and the normalisation of sexual harassment.’
• Harrods employees reject Harrods’ claims of change that it is a “very different organisation” from the days of late boss Mohamed Al Fayed, with current workers asserting that Harrods a “a company that is rotten to its core,’ with a toxic ‘culture of secrecy and fear’ persisting under the current leadership.
• UVW is demanding action and warns of a potential strike ballot if the current situation persists, having called for urgent talks with Harrods management, which the company has rejected.

A member of UVW union – the trade union for Harrods’ workers – has spoken up in response to claims that “the Harrods of today is a very different organisation to the one owned and controlled by Al Fayed” accusing the department store of “treating victims like perpetrators and perpetrators of such, being covered.”

Despite Harrods’ PR efforts to convince the press and general public of being a ‘very different organisation’, several members of UVW there solidly dispute this claim with another saying “Harrods is a company that is rotten to its core, continuing to foster a culture of secrecy and fear among the workplace. The imbalance of power within the company makes it impossible for workers to be sure that any concerns they have will be acknowledged and dealt with accordingly.”

In the wake of the disgusting allegations of rape and sexual abuse against former luxury story Harrods Mohammed Al Fayed, the employee and UVW member, who wants to remain anonymous, said: “As a current employee of Harrods and having suffered from the rotten fruits of secrecy, corruption and the normalisation of sexual harassment in the business I’m appalled. They lied, the culture is very alive and kicking! Victims are being treated like perpetrators and perpetrators of such are being covered!

UVW, which represents Harrods’ workers in cleaning, retail and restaurants, rejects the luxury department stores’ claim that “Harrods is today a very different organisation”, and have written to Harrods to demand an urgent meeting with our reps to discuss our members’ concerns. The chief executive has been in position since 2005, when Al Fayed still owned and ran the company.

Harrods have refused to meet with UVW reps, with Abi Weeks, Chief People Officer of Harrods saying they believe they can address employee concerns “without the need for a third party”, even though UVW is the union which represents the largest group of workers in Harrods’ cleaning, retail and restaurant teams. 

In reply to Harrods’ claim it is a “very different organisation”, a UVW member and current Harrods employee, said:“Harrods is a company that is rotten to its core, continuing to foster a culture of secrecy and fear among the workplace. The imbalance of power within the company makes it impossible for workers to be sure that any concerns they have will be acknowledged and dealt with accordingly. Rather, senior people at Harrods continue to seek to absolve themselves of responsibility when it comes to important issues such as the welfare of their employees conducting a series of carefully articulated cover ups. The general feeling among Harrods’ workers is that we are at the bottom of the company’s priorities, forced into submission with the odds stacked against us.”

Petros Elia, general secretary for UVW, said: “We are disgusted and outraged to learn about Mohamed Al Fayed’ predatory, monstrous and criminal acts and we offer our full solidarity to his survivors. Despite the first survivors coming forward in the late 1980s and the media reporting on more allegations in 1995, 1997 and 2017, Harrods never did anything about it.  The CPS also chose not to prosecute him when they had the chance to do so in 2009, when led by now Prime Minister, Keir Starmer. Harrods might claim to be a very different organisation but that is not the experience of many of our members who have now chosen to speak up. If Harrods continues to refuse to engage with UVW and our members – their employees – we will be left with no choice but to ballot them, yet again, for industrial action.”

For further information contact the UVW comms team:

Cristina: 07548 759340

Isabel: 07706 987443

Jim: 07749 765264

E-mail: comms@uvwunion.org.uk  

Notes for editors

United Voices of the World is an anti-racist, member-led, direct action, campaigning trade union and we exist to support and empower the most vulnerable groups of precarious, low-paid and predominantly BAME and migrant workers in the UK. We fight the bosses through direct action on the streets and through the courts and demand that all members receive at least the London Living Wage, full pay, sick pay, dignity, equality and respect.

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