Ana's story

"In 2000 I began work at a five star hotel as an afternoon-shift runner in the housekeeping department, delivering guest requests. I do a bit of everything, depending on what's needed so I am very familiar with the work in this department.

I find conditions much more difficult now. Physically, the work is much harder. Bed linen is very heavy because of an extra layer of mattress. It is difficult for one person to make these beds on their own, especially the king size beds and fitting doona covers.

In 2000, housekeepers had a permanent floor to look after. Today they have to clean 14 rooms on up to five different floors. Time is lost pushing and pulling heavy trolleys from floor-to-floor over much longer distances.

When I started, each floor had a room with housekeeping requirements, cleaning aids and chemicals. Now housekeepers have to carry these up to five floors daily. Linen supplies are limited and often run out, so housekeepers have to go to other floors to get supplies. We still have to clean the same number of rooms, but in a shorter time.

Our wage rates are very low so many housekeepers have to work overtime to earn enough to live on.

I see injuries are more common. Some of my colleagues have hurt themselves at work, especially their arms, but they are afraid to report this because they are worried about losing their jobs. The problems I have experienced at our workplace are enormous. I have seen intimidation, verbal abuse, discrimination against people from non-English speaking backgrounds and bullying. It is a stressful and hostile environment for workers.

In my time at the hotel, I have seen a decline in the quality of management. It seems to me many managers do not have the appropriate qualifications and skills to do their jobs. I’ve seen bullying used to solve problems and to get work done. I find that management positions are often promoted by favouritism not by capability.

Millions are spent on things like refurbishments and advertising but not on developing working conditions or management skills. Workers have discussed our problems with senior management. Promises are made but nothing is done and it seems our working conditions just continue to get worse. It is difficult to work in a place where so many people are frightened and unhappy. I believe most of the workers at our workplace are intimidated and frightened of losing their jobs. This extends throughout the hotel, including to office workers. This situation has got much worse over recent years. From talking with older people, I compare these working conditions with factories in the 1940s and 1950s.

Every problem has a solution. The fair thing is for the management level to have people qualified and interested in improving working conditions and fixing problems as a team. If a company can't fix this kind of situation they'd better not exist as a company.”