London Grosvenor Casino workers to go on strike; casinos may close

Workers at London's Grosvenor Casino have voted to strike from Friday, September 9 to Monday, September 12. As a result, casinos throughout London may be forced to close this weekend, when all members of the Unite union for casino workers will go on strike to demand a higher wage. The strikes will begin at 18:00 on September 9 and will last until 06:00 on September 12.

Grosvenor Casinos' seven London-based casinos will be affected by the strike: The Victoria, The Rialto, The Gloucester, The Park Tower, The Golden Horseshoe, The St Giles, and The Barracuda.

According to the Unite union, Grosvenor Casinos, a subsidiary of Rank Group, can easily afford a more realistic offer to its employees, having made profits of £74 million ($85.2 million) so far this year.

Grosvenor Casino employs approximately 150 people across its venues, with 91% of them declining retention bonuses of £600 and £800.

The Unite members believe Grosvenor Casino's offer is insufficient in light of the rising cost of living.

Strikers will primarily be croupiers and dealers, but will also include food and beverage waiting and kitchen staff.

"Here we go again: Grosvenor Casinos is another big money company that is raking it in but refusing to pay its workers a living wage," said Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham.

It's simply not acceptable, and this massive vote for action highlights the workforce's outrage.

"Our Grosvenor Casinos members will have Unite's full support in this fight for a fair deal."

"Grosvenor Casinos need to understand that this workforce is united, and more workers are joining Unite every day," said Dave Turnball, the union's National Officer for the Hospitality Sector.

"London is one of the most expensive cities on the planet for workers to live in, which is why the message from the members could not be clearer: only a significant pay increase will suffice."

"Grosvenor Casino's persistent recruitment and retention issues demonstrate that current pay rates are simply not sustainable." Failure to raise pay is simply not an option."