Staff at Paris luxury hotel hosting IOC goes on strike

Staff at the Hôtel du Collectionneur went on strike just ahead of the Olympic Games. GETTY IMAGES

Staff at Hotel du Collectionneur, the luxury accomodation hosting the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for Paris 2024, went on strike Thursday morning, claiming they have not received a pay rise for seven years. 

The IOC is set to host regular dinners and events at the venue and has reportedly paid approximately €22 million for exclusive use of the premises. A group of chefs, waiters and technical staff at the five-star hotel began a two-hour protest at 07:00, causing some disruption to the breakfast service. 

Union Departementale CGT Paris (UD CGT), a trade union representing the workers, posted a video from inside the hotel showing around a dozen staff lining one of the corridors used by guests. Some waved the union’s flags and others held notices with slogans such as “Luxury hotel, poverty wages” and “Give us back our social assets”.

According to UD CGT, staff are demanding long-overdue salary increases and have not been given a pay rise since 2017, even after a dividend of €9.5 million was awarded to shareholders this year. The workers also demand a “13th month”, while not mandatory, it is considered a standard salary bonus in France whereby an extra month’s pay is received annually in December. The strike comes after a fifth round of negotiations failed Wednesday.

“For several months now, the management of the Hotel du Collectionneur has been conducting constructive negotiations with staff representatives concerning the 13th month’s pay for employees. These discussions are progressing in a climate of mutual respect and cooperation. 

Our hotel will continue to operate optimally during this period. Our teams remain committed to guaranteeing a unique experience for our guests,” management for Hotel du Collectionneur said in a statement Thursday.

The International Olympic Committee held an executive board meeting at Hotel du Collectionneur earlier this week. GETTY IMAGES
The International Olympic Committee held an executive board meeting at Hotel du Collectionneur earlier this week. GETTY IMAGES

While access to the hotel is tightly limited, The Guardian reported that IOC guests and dignitaries could be seen moving freely around the venue, where the organisation has already held an executive board meeting earlier this week.

Strikes have littered the months leading into the Games. Unions and their members in a variety of sectors have leveraged the Olympics to fight for bonuses and better wages. Just this week the French Union of Performing Artists (SFA) announced its intention to call a strike in anticipation of the opening ceremony, where some 3,000 dancers, musicians, and actors will participate, to protest low wages and labour inequalities.



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