Pretoria – The plush Sheraton Hotel on the eastern side of Pretoria CBD has been hit by a wage dispute, with workers picketing outside the grand facility, demanding pay increases.
On Tuesday, the protesting workers said they could not make ends meet, with the rising prices of basic commodities, on salaries of around R2 000 per month.
“I have been working here for around five years. I earn between R2,300 and R2,600 per month after having tended to about 18 rooms each day. In a day, I do all kinds of work including laundry, dry ironing and attending the public areas. After that I go and work in the rooms,” said Selinah Ntsie, one of the protesting workers.
“From that R2 600 I have to pay my rent at the flat, which is R1,200. I also have to pay school fees for my kids, which is R840 and every month I have to suffer for the transport fees to come to work. I have two children aged 16 and eight.”
She said she had to boost her paltry salary with the government’s social grant targeted at poor children.
“We want Sheraton to give us at least R7,500 per month. This is a five star hotel which pays like a one star company. At this hotel, we regularly serve presidents, ministers – all those people in high classes – but we are suffering,” said Ntsie.
The protest comes shortly after the South African government proposed that the national minimum wage should be R3‚500 per month.
Waitress Mosa Maduna said she has worked at the plush hotel for more than a year, earning R2,700, including tips.
“Transport takes around R500. For food and electricity I require R2,400. Most of the times, I am asking my sister for help, which is not fair. As you can see, most of the workers picketing here are black, so this is racist as most of the managers here are white.
Ferron Pedro, representing the Workers and Socialist Party (Wasp), was with the picketing workers on Tuesday, urging them to continue the “good fight for decent wages”.
“We have come to intervene and assist the workers in any way we can. We have started the #BoycottSheraton campaign where we asking our comrades around the world to send messages of disapproval to Sheraton hotels across the world. Our international comrades are actually outraged by how little workers are being paid at Sheraton Hotel in South Africa. They have also vowed not to stay at this hotel,” said Pedro.
In a written response to media queries, general manager at the Sheraton Hotel Pretoria, Pascal Fouquet, said the company had made a significant pay increase earlier this year.
“The welfare of our associates [workers] is important to us. We have already made a substantial salary increase this year. We continue to believe in constructive and cooperative discussions, and are open to review the proposal in the next financial year,” said Fouquet.
“We also provide benefits such us meals, transport, medical aid and provident fund and comply fully with local labour law.”
Fouquet said the operations of the hotel had not been disrupted by the labour action.
“The safety and security of our guests and associates is important to us. We would like to reassure our guests that we are fully operational and are working hard to minimise any impact that this may have,” he said.
African News Agency