Chambermaids, valets, cooks, divers… They were all there. 111 according to trade unions. This Thursday, near the four-star Westin Vendôme hotel (1st); all had gathered in the vicinity, rue Rouget-de-L’Isle, under the supervision of a judicial officer. The basis of the claims? Again and again the layoffs of the same trades. Housekeepers, chambermaids, janitors, baggage handlers, kitchen assistants … All are the blow of a PSE (Plan to safeguard employment), “of great violence”, they say, which envisages the pure and simple 168 out of 350 jobs.
Employees in tears
Sophie has been a housekeeper for 19 years at the Westin. She speaks, with tears in her eyes: “It was a family, here, we all have an incredible seniority! I’m going to have to leave, chased by this layoff plan. Sacrificed on the altar of the Covid. It’s incredible…. “. In total, 8 baggage handlers out of 16 are dismissed, 81 valets, or all of them, must leave the hotel, like all of the 12 housekeepers. Carried away, like the others in the immense wave of the luxury hotel industry, which separates from its staff at the mercy of the Covid crisis.
“It was with great violence that we were informed during an extraordinary meeting concerning the job protection plan project (PSE) which plans to eliminate: 168 jobs which represents 40% of the workforce. our hotel ! Can we talk about a backup plan or is it a dismissal plan ?, ask the unions (FO and CFDT). Is the goal to save jobs or to eliminate as many as possible? Regarding certain services, it is purely and simply to exterminate them without any respect. It is a question of the elimination: 100% of the staff of the concierge, 100% of the staff of the switchboard, 88% of the staff of Housekeeping which includes all the chambermaids and housekeepers, 50% of the staff of the luggage storage. 21% of the catering service. The situation is very serious, we cannot allow a layoff plan of this magnitude to be made because it is not fair. We do not have to pay for the crisis, the Marriott group and the government must support hotel workers. “
The management did not respond to our requests.
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