Hotel staff win battle to prevent cut in wage rates

THE Labour Court has ordered that five SIPTU members in dispute with the operators of the Davenport Hotel in Dublin after refusing to accept a cut in their minimum wage should be reinstated and their previous wage levels restored.

The Court criticised the O’Callaghan Hotel Group for cutting the wages and also ordered that the five accommodation staff be paid all the monies they would have earned had they not been removed from the work roster in early February. The row arose after the outgoing government lowered the national minimum wage from €8.65 an hour to €7.65 from 1 February.

Staff in the Davenport Hotel were told they would have to sign documents agreeing to cut their pay rate to €7.80 per hour.