Boycott Opera Stephens Hotel and Restaurant Royale

national | miscellaneous | news report Sunday October 13, 2002 23:04 by durf humphries - Studio One drcockroach at wheatoncollege dot net 62 The Park, Beaumont, Dublin 9 086-392-7407

Shady Irish Coupl Exploit Immigrant Labour

Despite the 'Celtic Tiger,' I had difficulty finding work once I moved to Ireland from the United States. Although I had obtained a work visa, I stumbled into a circumstance that helped me understand the illegal work conditions of aliens better, both in Ireland and in my home country.

My first employment experience in Dublin involved the Mona Lisa near Temple Bar, where I worked for one day and was replaced by a more experienced chef without receiving any pay. My second employment experience occured after covering the city with my CV and receiving a phonecall from the couple who own and run the Opera Stephens Hotel and Restaurant Royale on Stephens Street (a few blocks from St. Stephens Green). They called me at 7 in the morning and asked if I wanted a job. I came immediately, expecting an interview, but was immediately put to work, washing dishes, bussing tables, waiting tables- work I had become accustomed to in America. I was then instructed to do some housekeeping work, which I had never done before but am fully capable of performing. Throughout the morning, the couple refused to call me by my name, referring to me as "Dolly." I tried to inquire about what wage I would be receiving all day, but they kept avoiding the question. At the end of seven and a half hours of work, they told me to come in everyday at seven for the next week and to expect to work seven hours a day, seven days a week, without time off for the rest of my employment. I asked them how much I would be paid and they said they wouldn't know until after the first week, after they had seen how good a job I could perform. I asked them for an estimate and they told me to expect at least 100 euros a week! Maybe 250 if I was a really good worker... At least 49 hours a week of labor, bought and sold at 100 euros? With my American pride, proud of my strong unions and valuable labor, I told them not to expect me to return the next day and they said they would find some Chinese girl who would do the job better and cheaper.