Demonstration outside busy big screen venue to show poverty pay and union-busting the red card

Walsall Village Hotel staff striking over poverty pay will demonstrate outside their workplace while it is packed with football fans watching England’s opening World Cup game.

When: 17:00 hrs to 21:30hrs, Wednesday 17 June, 2026
Where: Village Hotel Walsall, Tempus Drive, Walsall WS2 8JT

The hospitality, gym, events, reception and housekeeping workers are taking strike action over Village’s failure to pay the Living Wage rate of £13.45 an hour and its refusal to pay young workers’ wages equal to their older colleagues doing the same jobs.

They are also striking over the company’s failure to recognise their union, Unite, for collective bargaining.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Walsall Village Hotel workers are determined to show low pay and union-busting the red card. They have their union’s unflinching support.
“Strikes will continue to escalate until Walsall Village Hotel enters talks with Unite and tables improvements on pay that are acceptable to its workers.”

Strike action will take place on 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 23, 26, 27, 28 and 30 June and 2, 4, 7 and 10 July. The strikes will severely impact Village Hotel bar and grill services during the extremely busy World Cup period when fans will be watching matches on the venue’s big screens.

Unite national lead for hospitality, Bryan Simpson said: “For almost two months, these workers have done everything right. They raised serious concerns collectively, they followed procedure and they gave Village Hotels every opportunity to resolve this dispute. Instead, they were ignored.

“Despite facing some of the most aggressive union-busting tactics we've seen, workers have stood together and delivered a resounding vote for strike action. The message to the company is clear. If you want to avoid disruption during some of your busiest and most profitable weeks of the year, get around the table and negotiate. These workers won’t be ignored any longer."

ENDS

For media enquires ONLY contact senior Unite communications officer Ryan Fletcher on 07849 090215 or 020 3371 2065.

Email: ryan.fletcher@unitetheunion.org

Unite is Britain and Ireland’s largest union with members working across all sectors of the economy. The general secretary is Sharon Graham.