Harrods migrant cleaners to strike over limit on length of trips to visit family

Exclusive: This comes as the luxury retailer celebrates its 175th anniversary.

“I haven’t seen my family for three years! Our families are in India and travelling there is not easy,” one worker said (UVW)

Dozens of migrant cleaners at Harrods are preparing to strike over “discriminatory” holiday policy affecting Black and Asian workers as the company celebrates its 175th anniversary, The Independent can reveal.

The policy, which a union has described as “new” and “draconian”, limits workers’ holidays to a maximum of two weeks which will restrict their ability to take time off to visit their families abroad.

Harrods’ facilities workers received notification of new guidelines in June, resulting in those who had already arranged and paid for their holidays left scrambling to cancel or change their plans.

Harrods insists that the policy is not new, but that it is now enforcing it.

These employees often save for several years to travel long distances to visit their families with many unable to take several shorter trips in a year.

Since the announcement, the workers claim Harrods has turned down holiday requests longer than two weeks amid accusations that the company is “undermining the welfare of its migrant workforce” comprised of cleaners from Asia and Africa.

Petros Elia, general secretary of United Voices of the World (UVW) union representing the cleaners, told The Independent that she considers this policy is tantamount to race discrimination.

Profits at Harrods benefitted from the comparison to the previous year, which was impacted by Covid-19 (Matt Alexander/PA) (PA Archive)

“Harrods is celebrating its 175th anniversary, but it seems they haven’t learned a thing about treating their workers with respect and dignity,” she said.

“It would seem this is a clear case of discrimination against migrant workers, who have always been able to take extended holidays to visit their families.

“This new policy could lead to a patently absurd and unconscionable situation where none of the facilities’ workers will ever be able to spend time with their families who live overseas.

“This cannot be the intended or permissible consequence of this policy.” She said that she is of the opinion that it might well amount to indirect race discrimination.

She added: “These workers are not asking for anything unreasonable; they are simply asking for time with their families (...). They are ready to fight and UVW will support them like we have done, again and again.”

Despite raising concerns about this “unfair” policy via their union, the UVW claims the luxury company has completely ignored the workers’ issues.

Maclino Rodrigues, Harrods night cleaner of eight years, said: “I have two children, our families are in India and travelling there is not easy.

“The ticket prices are so high during the children’s school holiday. We can’t leave them here. I haven’t seen my family for three years. We explained all of this.”

(Getty Images)

“They say these changes are supposed to provide cover for the peak periods, but we are behind the scenes.”

He added: “No one wants to go on strike, everyone needs to work, we have used up all other options; we have raised it verbally, formally and informally and tried to solve this amicably.”

The cleaners have now instructed their union UVW to send Harrods a Notice of Intention to Ballot (NOIB) and strike dates will be announced soon.

When approached for comment, Harrods acknowledged the dispute and told The Independent that it does not plan to engage with the union as it is not recognised by the company.

A spokesperson said: “There has been no introduction of a new policy in relation to holidays at Harrods. Harrods clarified existing company policy, which limits holiday length during peak periods, as defined by the specific divisional needs of the business.

“This is to ensure that holiday is taken fairly and consistently across the team, as well as ensuring the business can continue to operate during its busiest periods.

“UVW is not a recognised union by Harrods and therefore we do not engage with this organisation on our policies.”