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  4. 24 September 2002

Hilton Hotel Employees

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SpeakersPrimrose The Hon Peter
BusinessAdjournment


    HILTON HOTEL EMPLOYEES
Page: 5167


    The Hon. PETER PRIMROSE [6.30 p.m.]: Unfortunately my colleague the Hon. Ian West is not able to deliver a speech this evening on a matter of great concern to him. He has conveyed to me an amount of information which I would like to share with the House. Four weeks ago almost 500 employees of Sydney's Hilton Hotel were informed by their managers that they would be sacked in November this year. The Hilton is closing its doors on 29 November for a $400 million refurbishment, but it could afford to give its workers only eight weeks redundancy pay. Many of these employees have worked for the Hilton for more than 20 years. Eight weeks pay is an insult. It is important to note that this paltry provision is under the Federal award and that the equivalent State award affords double that amount of redundancy pay.

    After many years of service these workers see their colleagues as a second family and the hotel as a second home-this is the thanks that they get. Earlier plans discussed with employees suggested that sections of the hotel would be closed off for refurbishment but that the Hilton would remain open for business throughout. Staff were rudely shocked when they discovered that the plan was to sack them in only a few months' time with no guarantee of future employment with the company.

    Understandably, the employees' union, the Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers Union [LHMU], of which the Hon Ian West is a proud member, has been waging a vigorous campaign to gain four reasonable objectives: first, a better redundancy deal for the whole work force-full-time, part-time and casuals; second, the right of return for all Hilton workers once the renovations are complete; third, a quality retraining and placement service to help hotel workers find alternative employment; finally, a first-ever union enterprise agreement when the hotel reopens.

    There is also great public support for employees in their struggle for decent treatment from the Hilton. Mr Oded Lifschitz, Hilton Hotel's Australasian vice president, has been the target of more than 2,500 emails from all over Australia and the world, calling on him to guarantee Hilton workers more than a paltry eight weeks redundancy pay and employment on the reopening of the hotel when refurbishment is complete. An American Telco executive decided to show his support for employees who had made his many visits to the Sydney Hilton pleasurable, by inviting them to a $10,000 dinner at his own expense.

    Only after this negative publicity for the Hilton group has it been willing to meet the LHMU at the negotiating table. This very afternoon in the other place, workers from the Hilton were present to witness a debate on this issue, which saw my party colleagues the honourable member for Liverpool, Paul Lynch, and the honourable member for Wentworthville, Pam Allan, call on the Hilton to treat their workers with the loyalty and decency that has characterised their many years of service. Interestingly, Chris Hartcher, who is the honourable member for Gosford and the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, agreed that the actions of the hotel were disgraceful and that the Government should boycott the hotel until a fair outcome is negotiated through the union. It is a pleasure to see such bipartisanship.

    The most recent development is that the union met with hotel management this afternoon and some progress was made in the negotiations to secure a fair outcome for the workers, but there is still a long way to go. The union is asking for a redundancy package of four weeks pay for each year of service for permanent employees, but the company has so far refused. The most outrageous treatment has been reserved for the many casual employees of the hotel, some of whom have been with the Hilton for as long as 20 years. They are currently being offered nothing. The company regards 15 years only as a significant service for casuals, which the union has understandably rejected.

    It is also interesting to note that these workers in Sydney are being dictated to by company executives in London and Singapore about whether their 20 years of service to the company is worth more than eight weeks pay. I urge Hilton workers to persevere in their struggle for a decent package. Along with my colleague the Hon. Ian West I also urge hotel management to see the light, reverse the negative publicity that is being focused on the Hilton, and treat the workers decently at the negotiation table.

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