This hotel used to have a pretty good relationship with the hotel workers union and a even had a union agreement. The First Star thinks they might have changed their strategy. When 78% of workers voted no to the hotel’s attempt to convince workers to sign a WorkChoices agreement, workers felt extra pressure from management to sign.
While you’re enjoying the cuisine at the Sofitel, spare a thought for the workers in the kitchen. The First Star has inside information that workers at the Sofitel have organised a letter and petition to go to management about the fact that kitchen staff have no finish times on rosters. This mean that when workers take sick leave they are only paid for 3 hrs – the minimum amount. We hear they have a huge amount of signatures on that petition already. Sometimes kitchen workers have their shifts cancelled at the last minute, even after they have arrived at the restaurant. Workers aren’t even compensated for the loss of their time when their shifts get cancelled with such short notice.
The First Star has heard that working conditions are poor with workers telling us of understaffed kitchens which translates into overworked staff. We’ve been told that the kitchen’s temperature can get up to 40 degrees in summer, but the exact temperature will never be known as the thermometer used to monitor the temperature is located outside in the air conditioned hallway.
The First Star thinks every hotel should have a strong return to work programs, and we hear physiotherapists are kept hard at work at the Sofitel Brisbane because of the number of house keeping staff on this program. However, wouldn’t it be smart to train, support and resource housekeeping workers so they don’t damage their health in the first place?
As part of the Accor chain, Sofitel Brisbane has participated in Earth Hour and introduced a formula to determine how much savings can be made through towel re-use and pledged to donate funds to the United Nation’s reforestation program.
Sofitel was also the first hotel chain to undertake Green Globe certification in Pacific region. They are attempting to be the first hotel group in the region to be fully certified by Green Globe by June 2009.
However, as with every other hotel in this sector, guests need to ask if this is just greenwash or an authentic commitment to preserve the environment for future generations? This lack of a consistent, authoritative and transparent environmental rating system really means that no one can be sure if they’re being snowed by marketing or actually making a difference.
