India: Alternate Hotel Workers’ Conference denounces ‘worst employers’

The IUF-affiliated Hotel Employees Federation of India (HEFOI) organized the Alternate Hotel Workers’ Conference on April 3 to challenge the official Hotel Investors’ Conference held at Grand Hyatt Mumbai.

While leading hotel owners and the CEOs of international and domestic hotel chains gathered at the official event to exploit India’s rapidly growing hospitality industry, the alternative event brought attention to the harsh realities behind the glitz and glamour of the luxury hotel industry with workers’ testimonies and drama performances by women workers on precarious employment, abusive management, appalling health and safety conditions and the denial of rights.

Immediately after the Alternate Hotel Workers’ Conference more than 200 representatives of hotel unions marched to the Grand Hyatt Mumbai to hand out awards for the worst employers. The protest rally also supported the Hyatt Hurts campaign in the United States.