Unionisation in the Dublin hotel industry

Abstract

The Dublin hotel industry experiences signi®cantly higher levels of union density than is the case amongst hotel workers in the UK. This paper examines the context in which these different experiences of union density take place. It provides an examination of the historical roots of union organisation within Dublin hotels and explores the factors that have contributed to effective organisation within the industry today. It concludes by arguing that although the structural characteristics of employment in the UK can act as a barrier to union organisation, these can, in certain historical periods, be overcome where there is a shifting balance of power between workers and employers affecting both the hotel industry and society as a whole.

Trade-Union Trust Perception in the Lodging Sector: A Research on Sector Stakeholders

“…Piso studied hotel and catering workers in class and unionization (Piso, 1999). In another study, the same researcher examined unionization in the Dublin hotel industry (Piso 2003). Lucas (2009) reviewed low unionization in the British hotel industry under industrial features.…”

Hotel employees' views on fairness, well‐being and collective representation in times of the coronavirus crisis: Evidence from Poland

“…The problem is that, when it comes to unionisation, the industry has long been seen as ‘a special case’ (Wood, 1997, p. 9), meaning that certain specific features of the hospitality sector (e.g., high labour turnover) make it particularly difficult for workers to organise (Ioannou & Dukes, 2021). Some scholars go as far as saying that the ‘work in hotels is largely incompatible with unionisation’ (Piso, 2003, p. 211).…”

“…This study contributes to the literature on hotel employees' well‐being and the attractiveness of hotel employment (e.g., Ariza‐Montes et al, 2018; Ashton, 2018; Su & Swanson, 2019; Yavas et al, 2018) in the wider context of organisational ethics (Greenwood, 2013). At the same time, it makes contributions to the body of research on collective representation in the hotel industry, which draws mainly on evidence from Anglo‐Saxon countries (Aslan & Wood, 1993; Ioannou & Dukes, 2021; Lowery et al, 2019; Macaulay & Wood, 1992; Piso, 2003; Wood, 2020). To the best of our knowledge, there are no many studies focusing on unionisation in Polish hotels.…”