Top Dublin Hotels displacing Irish staff

dublin | worker & community struggles and protests | news report Saturday April 22, 2006 16:20 by Liam Mullen - Freelance Journalist

A source within the hotel industry has revealed how top Dublin hotels like the Burlington and the Jury’s chain are offering voluntary severance packages to their staff in the hope of re-employing cheap migrant labour.

A source within the hotel industry has revealed how top Dublin hotels like the Burlington and the Jury’s chain are offering voluntary severance packages to their staff in the hope of re-employing cheap migrant labour.
This policy is creating the tensions that existed with the Irish Ferries and the Gama dispute. The hotels in question are encouraging long-term Irish employees to avail of the packages, and many Irish employees are considering their options, having witnessed a previous exodus of friends and colleagues. Many are struck by the new environment in which they have to labour, and are losing their appetites for working in an environment which now contains so many strangers.
Although there is no denying the rich experience migrants bring to our shores, the policies of top hotels in seeking to replace Irish workers is damaging morale within the industry. It doesn’t always work out for the hotels either. Last year, a well known
Dublin City hotel employed a Muslim barman and were forced to terminate his employment when he refused to serve alcohol. The man claimed that serving alcohol was offensive to his religious beliefs, and wanted to only serve teas and coffees.
By displacing Irish staff willing to work within the hospitality industry in Ireland, top hotels are fulfilling Pat Rabbitte’s hypothesis of a “race to the bottom”. Union sources are also fearful of this. Another well-known landmark, which played a pivotal role in suppressing the Stephen’s Green fighting during the 1916 Easter Rising – the Shelbourne – recently advertised a large number of positions to be filled following its refurbishment. It remains to be seen how many former employees will be re-employed, or whether the balance of employment will favour the new migrant workforce? Perhaps the new census will give us some answers?