Village Hotels responds to Unite members voting in favour of historic strike

Village Hotels has issued a statement in response to Unite members at Village Hotels Glasgow voting in favour of historic strike action.

The union has been in talks with the hotel on Pacific Drive in Glasgow in a bid to secure the real living wage of £12.60 per hour for its members, as well as paid breaks.

Village Hotels said 13 out of 125 staff at the hotel had voted in favour of industrial action.

According to Unite, around 90% of food and beverage workers are involved in the dispute.

Members were invited to vote on strike action over a two-week period earlier this month, with the ballot closing yesterday (15 July).

In a post on X, Unite revealed that out of an 81% turnout, 100% of members had voted in favour of the strike.

If this goes ahead, it will be the first strike action to take place at a major hotel in more than 40 years.

A spokesperson for Unite added: “We now have a legal mandate to shut down the most lucrative departments of their flagship unit unless Village Hotels move on living wage, equal pay and paid breaks.”

Lindsay Southward, group director of operations and people at Village Hotels, said: “Of our 125 team members at Village Hotel Glasgow, only 13 voted for industrial action. We are proud of the investment we make in our employees, which helps drive our employee engagement score and retention rate of 83% and 76% respectively – both significantly higher than industry averages. 

“We continually review our remuneration policies and align with industry best practice, and offer competitive employee benefits, including two free memberships to Village Health & Wellness Clubs, subsidised food and drink, and discounts on all overnight stays.”

Village Hotels, which operates 33 properties across the UK in the mid-market sector, recently announced bold expansion plans to open five hotels a year over the next five years.

The expansion plans coincide with a proposed £82m refurbishment of its existing estate, backed by new owner Blackstone, which acquired Village Hotels from private equity firm KSL Capital Partners in an £850m deal in June 2024.