19.08.2025 / Press releases / St Helier and Epsom

Defiant Radisson Blu housekeepers launch 6 weeks of strike action

• Housekeepers at international hotel chain in Canary Wharf announce 6 weeks of strike action at Radisson Blu in Canary Wharf. 
• The housekeepers, members of United Voices of the World, UVW, will walkout on Sunday, 29^th August in what will be the UK’s longest hotel strike since 1979. 
• The mostly migrant women from Nepal have reported physical pain and stress due to increasing workloads. 
• The workers are demanding the London Living Wage and reduced workloads. 
• Facilities outsourcing giant WGC has overseen a deterioration of working conditions ever since taking over the contract across all nine Radisson Hotels in London in 2024. 

Housekeepers at the Radisson Blu hotel in Canary Wharf will commence 6 weeks of strike action on Sunday, 29^th August, in what could be the UK’s longest ever hotel strike. The walkout is being led by members of United Voices of the World (UVW), a grassroots trade union. 

The workers, who are predominantly Nepali migrant women, are employed by outsourcing giant WGC, which looks after cleaning operations across nine Radisson hotels in London. 

The striking workers are demanding the London Living Wage of £13.85 per hour, up from their current £13 an hour. In addition, their contacts were recently changed from offering a guaranteed 40 hours to only 16 hours and the workers are demanding a return to the 40-hour guarantee. Their workloads have also drastically increased from 14 rooms per day to 24 with all workers reporting physical pain and injuries as a result.  

The decline in working conditions began after outsourcing giant WGC took over the contract across all nine London hotels in 2024. Since then, long-serving housekeepers—some with decades of service—have seen their hours drastically cut, leaving them unable to make ends meet on poverty wages. 
 

Doris Selembo, housekeeper for RB for over 30 years: 

“We were all a bit nervous before the first strike on the 9^th August but were so encouraged by the huge support from everyone at the union and all the people that came to join us on the day. After the first strike, we feel like we’re not alone anymore.  Now the whole team is really excited for the 6 weeks of strikes. After deciding on the plan together we are all really motivated to keep fighting. We’re still fighting, and we’ll keep going until we get our demands met.” 

Petros Elia, UVW General Secretary said: 
 
“This dispute marks a significant moment in the fight for workers’ rights in London’s hospitality sector. Not only is it the first hotel works strike in nearly 50 years but is also now gearing up to be the longest hotel workers strike ever in the UK. These women workers are sending a clear message that exploitation will not go unchallenged. They deserve dignity, respect, and a living wage and UVW will support them all the way until victory.” 
 

Note to editors:
 

About the dispute  
 
Housekeepers at Radisson Blu, Canary Wharf face worsening working conditions. 
Secure 40-hour contracts replaced by insecure “flexible” contracts of 16 hours per week. 
Workloads increased drastically: staff now expected to clean up to 24 rooms per day (previously 14). 
 Pay is just £13 per hour — below the London Living Wage of £13.85. 
 

About UVW 
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. 

For more information contact the UVW comms team. 
 

Isabel: 07706 987443 

E-mail: comms@uvwunion.org.uk    

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