Former Ivy worker and Unite the Union Hospitality & Tourism Coordinator Julia Marciniak is today launching an online survey to gather and interpret working conditions and pay in the hospitality sector as many people return to work over the coming weeks.

The confidential survey will allow people to speak out about their working environment without fear of reprisal.

In launching the survey Marciniak said:

“Now more than ever good working practices, including health & safety regimes are vital in all workplaces especially those in direct contact with the general public. We hope that the findings of the survey will go a long way to both revealing and tackling the notoriously bad conditions and low pay that are synonymous with the sector.”

“As a worker in the tourism sector I have seen first-hand how appalling working conditions can be across the sector and across the country.  It took joining a trade union for myself and my work colleagues to win basic workplace facilities that had been denied to us for years.”

Branch secretary Karen Doyle who last year had to fight for toilet facilities at her place of work said:

“This sector is vital to our economy and those at the front of house are often ambassadors for our tourist industry.  It’s high time we recognised their skills and treated them with respect. Unfortunately that has not been the experience. We are encouraging people to take part in this survey so we can create a clear picture of how this sector has been operating and the effect it has on our lives.”