Germany -Investigative journalist uncovers exploitation chambermaids in luxury hotels -March 13, 2014

A team of investigative journalists working with the private television channel RTL uncovered the gross exploitation of foreign chambermaids in Berlin hotels Kempinski and Waldorf Astoria. The journalists, who worked as chambermaids undercover for 8 months and used hidden cameras to report their story, were confronted with blatant social abuse. The journalists found that the hotels comply with the minimum wage in name only. While the hourly minimum wage they award is legal, the hotels require maids to clean two to three rooms per hour. All those who do not manage to do so, which according to the workers comes down to everybody, had to work unpaid overtime. Taking into account real hours instead of contract hours, the maids received only half the minimum wage. Additionally, room deductions and €20 deductions were used as punishments by management for any mistake made by the chambermaids.

English: http://www.iuf.org/w/sites/default/files/3222_Kempinski_and_Waldorf_Astoria ...  


For more information, please contact the editor Jan Cremers, Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Labour Studies (AIAS) cbn-aias@uva.nl or the communications officer at the ETUI, Mariya Nikolova mnikolova@etui.org. For previous issues of the Collective bargaining newsletter please visit http://www.etui.org/E-Newsletters/Collective-bargaining-newsletter. You may find further information on the ETUI at www.etui.org, and on the AIAS at www.uva-aias.net.

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