LOW-PAID workers at Liverpool’s world-famous Britannia Adelphi hotel went on strike yesterday after their scrooge employer flatly refused to negotiate pay and conditions despite a reporting a massive rise in profits.

The hotel staff, who are members of the RMT union, will also walk out on New Year’s Eve — meaning that there will be strike action on two of the hotel’s busiest days of the year.

Management have repeatedly ignored appeals to abandon zero-hours contracts, while reducing its workforce and slashing room cleaning times by a fifth.

Workers are also denied free use of the hotel’s car park.

This is despite Adelphi profits rocketing by 40 per cent to £1.14 million, helping its owners Britannia to double its group profits and hand out a whopping £35m dividend.

The company remains a minimum-wage employer and refuses to discuss paying the Living Wage Foundation rate of £8.45.

RMT general secretary Mick Cash stormed: “It is shameful that the Adelphi’s owners are sweating both their assets and their workforce while paying the lowest possible wages.

“Tourism in Liverpool is booming, yet Britannia is denying its staff a fair share of the profits that they have
generated.

“Britannia Group boss Alex Langsam has raked in a personal fortune of £220m on the backs of our members’ labour, and they have had enough.

“Britannia can clearly afford to pay a living wage, and the company knows that RMT is ready to talk whenever they are, but our members have served notice that they will no longer be treated like Victorian-era servants,” Mr Cash added.