London Hotel Workers Win Historic Union Rights

Housekeepers at two Radisson Blu hotels in London have won the right to collectively bargain over pay and working conditions, marking a rare victory in an industry that's been nearly impossible to organize for almost 50 years.

The workers at Radisson Blu Canary Wharf and Euston Square, mostly Nepali migrant women, joined the United Voices of the World union and spent the past year recruiting colleagues one by one. Their persistence paid off when they secured statutory union recognition without needing a formal vote, proving they had overwhelming support among their coworkers.

The housekeepers work for WGC Ltd, a contractor hired by Radisson Blu. Last summer, workers at the Canary Wharf location became the first hotel workers in England to strike since 1979 after WGC cut their hours and increased workloads. They won every single demand, from better pay to fair schedules.

Inspired by that success, housekeepers at the Euston Square hotel organized and won the same improvements without having to strike. Now both groups have secured permanent seats at the negotiating table.

The Ripple Effect

This victory matters far beyond two London hotels. The union successfully argued that workers should be able to organize one hotel at a time rather than needing to rally an entire company's workforce first.

That precedent could transform organizing across Britain's hospitality industry, where workers have long faced low pay, grueling workloads, and high turnover. Hotels have remained stubbornly difficult to unionize compared to sectors like transport and manufacturing, where collective bargaining is common.

Doris Selenbo, who's cleaned rooms at Radisson Blu for over 30 years, celebrated the news. "Most importantly, we are not scared," she said. "If something isn't right, we will speak out."

The hotel industry has relied on outsourcing and temporary contracts to keep workers divided and unable to organize effectively. These housekeepers proved those barriers can be overcome when workers build trust and solidarity through patient, person-to-person organizing.

Their success sends a clear message to hospitality workers across the UK: collective action works, even in the toughest conditions. When outsourced workers stand together, they win.