The International Olympic Committee (IOC) faced scrutiny on Thursday morning when staff from the five-star Hotel du Collectionneur, leased to their Paris 2024 delegation, initiated a strike at dawn over an alleged lack of pay raises spanning seven years.
A contingent comprising chefs, waiters, and technical personnel affiliated with the Hotel du Collectionneur began protests within its breakfast area at approximately 7 am, disrupting morning services. This development has likely caused concern among IOC officials who frequently utilize the hotel for various events throughout the Games.
An evening event is scheduled to occur later this day, and there's apprehension that potential ongoing labor actions over the next two-and-a-half weeks could result in a more precarious circumstance. The IOC has reportedly invested around £18.5m for exclusive rights to use the hotel during the Olympics period.
The Union Départementale CGT Paris (UDCG), representing the workforce, released footage from within the premises showing numerous staff members in one of the guest corridors. The employees were observed holding signs with messages such as "Luxury establishment, low wages" and "Return our social rights."
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The UDCG contends that Hotel du Collectionneur's personnel have not received any salary increments for seven years despite its shareholders receiving an excess of £8m in dividends this year. Despite a proposed 2% raise offered during the latest negotiation round on Wednesday, which was dismissed by UDCG leading to the strike, Hotel du Collectionneur stands out as one of Paris's luxury hotels without having concluded agreements with its workers prior to the Olympics event.
A crucial aspect of the staff's demands is the introduction of a "13th month", which in France represents an extra annual payment received typically in December, regarded as conventional in upscale hospitality businesses. The strikers maintain that their overall demands represent merely one-twentieth of the IOC's contract with Hotel du Collectionneur.
On Thursday morning, access to Hotel du Collectionneur was denied to the Guardian but it was observed that guests associated with the International Olympic Committee and other dignitaries were seen moving freely within the venue, which also hosted a high-profile congress for UEFA, Europe's football authority, earlier in February.
The IOC has not yet responded to requests for comment, while The Gate Collection, owner of Hotel du Collectionneur, remains unreachable at this time.
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