14.07.2026 / Press releases / Justice for Cleaners / radisson blu

Historic victory as Radisson Blu housekeepers win trade union recognition at two UK hotels 

• Housekeepers outsourced to WGC Ltd at Radisson Blu Canary Wharf and Radisson Blu Euston Square have won statutory trade union recognition through the Central Arbitration Committee (CAC). 

• UVW successfully argued before the Central Arbitration Committee that workers can secure recognition on a hotel-by-hotel basis, establishing an important precedent for organising in the fragmented, outsourced hospitality sector. 

• The workforce is predominantly made up of migrant women, largely from Nepal and India. 

• The victory follows the first hotel strike in England in more than 45 years, organised by housekeepers at Radisson Blu Canary Wharf last summer, which ended in a complete victory for workers. 

• This is believed to be the first trade union recognition agreement covering hotel workers at Radisson Blu in the UK and marks a significant breakthrough in one of Britain’s least unionised industries. 

• The victory demonstrates that when outsourced hospitality workers organise, migrant women can build lasting union power and win collective bargaining rights despite the sector’s high staff turnover and historically low union density. 

Housekeepers at Radisson Blu Canary Wharf and Radisson Blu Euston Square, all members of the United Voices of the World (UVW) union, have secured statutory trade union recognition after successfully organising their workplaces and building a supermajority of union membership. 

Union recognition in UK hotels remains relatively uncommon. Unlike sectors such as transport, manufacturing, utilities and the public sector, hospitality has long been characterised by low pay, excessive workloads, high staff turnover, and some of the lowest levels of trade union membership and collective bargaining coverage in the economy. This victory represents a significant breakthrough for workers seeking to build lasting union power in the sector. 

UVW secured recognition without the need for a ballot after demonstrating majority support among workers. The union also successfully argued before the Central Arbitration Committee that recognition should be determined on a hotel-by-hotel basis, rather than across multiple sites, creating an important precedent that will make it easier for workers to organise workplace by workplace in the fragmented, outsourced hospitality industry. 

The victory follows workplace organising over the last year, led by predominantly Nepali migrant women who built their union one conversation at a time. By steadily recruiting colleagues, developing workplace leaders and building collective confidence across both hotels, workers transformed individual grievances into collective power. 

That organising reached a historic turning point last summer when outsourced housekeepers at Radisson Blu Canary Wharf became the first hotel workers in England to take strike action since 1979. They walked out over poor pay, punishing workloads and cuts to working hours imposed after WGC took over the housekeeping contract. Their strike ended in a landmark victory, with the employer conceding every one of the workers’ demands. 

Inspired by their colleagues’ success, housekeepers at Radisson Blu Euston Square organised collectively and secured the same improvements through campaigning and negotiations, without needing to strike. 

Winning statutory recognition means contractor WGC must now collectively negotiate with UVW over pay, hours and holidays, giving workers a permanent collective voice in workplace decisions and helping protect the gains they have already won. 
 
Doris Selenbo housekeeper for Radisson Blu for over 30 years: 

 “It’s exciting news. Securing this recognition agreement means our employer now has to sit down with us before making any decisions that affect our working lives. We fought for our rights before when we took strike action, and now we’ve won another important step forward. The good thing is that we can work together to solve problems and improve things for everyone. The whole team is happy we joined UVW, and seeing the team at Euston Square follow with UVW’s support has made us all even stronger. Most importantly, we are not scared. If something isn’t right, we will speak out.” 

Nelly Ospino, UVW General Secretary, said: 

“This is a historic victory, not just for our members at Radisson Blu but for hospitality workers across the UK. Trade union recognition in hotels remains far too rare because employers have long relied on outsourcing, high staff turnover and insecure work to keep workers divided. 

Our members have proved that none of those barriers are insurmountable. Predominantly Nepali migrant women built power and made history by organising the first hotel strike in England in more than 45 years, won every one of their demands, and have now secured the right to bargain collectively. 

Just as importantly, we won the argument before the Central Arbitration Committee that workers can win recognition one hotel at a time. That is a significant precedent for an industry deliberately fragmented through outsourcing, because it means workers no longer have to organise an entire company before they can secure collective bargaining rights. 

This victory sends a powerful message across the hospitality industry: when outsourced workers organise, they win. When migrant women organise, they build lasting union power. Their courage and determination are changing what is possible for workers across one of Britain’s hardest sectors to organise.” 

For further information, contact the UVW communications team:
   

Isabel: 07706 987443 

Cristina: 07548 759340
   

Email: comms@uvwunion.org.uk   
   

About UVW      

United Voices of the World (UVW) is a grassroots union representing low-paid, insecure, and predominantly migrant and BAME workers, including cleaners, concierges, couriers, carers, and hospitality staff across London.     

ENDS 

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