THE first strike at a major hotel chain in 46 years has ended in victory, with workers at Village Hotel Glasgow securing pay rises of up to 10 per cent and an end to zero-hours contracts.

The deal marks the latest step in a journey than began over a year ago as workers at the hotel joined Unite Hospitality, gaining sufficient strength in the workplace to challenge a pay policy which meant Glasgow staff were paid less than their comrades doing the same jobs at the company’s Edinburgh hotel, along with differentials disproportionately affecting women under 21.

Three weeks ago, workers launched continuous strike action, with the clear message that they would stay out for as long as necessary to win their demands.

Within days, Village Hotel’s £5.4 million-a-year chief executive sat down with young workers offering talks and, a fortnight on, those workers, backed by their union, secured a 10 per cent pay rise backdated to April for the youngest workers and an end to zero-hours contracts at the Glasgow hotel.

Visiting workers in Govan, and joking travelling to a picket line, only to be told: “There’s no need to come — they’ve already won,” was “a first,” said independent left MP Jeremy Corbyn.

“You’ve done it," he added. “It’s young workers who have done it. It’s the union that has done it. It’s the strength of the union together that has achieved it.

“Think of all the other young workers in hospitality all over Scotland, all over England, Wales and everywhere else who will look at this and say: ‘Wow, it can be done, you can win, but you have to do it united’.”

One striker, Eda, meanwhile, told the picket: “I had actually never been on strike before. I was quite nervous. I didn’t know what to expect.

“I didn’t know if the public would support us, so I am very happy to say we have been overwhelmed by the support we have received from everyone.

“I really hope we can be an inspiration to other young workers in hospitality. We have made history here.

“This is the first strike at a hotel in over 40 years, so let’s hope this is an inspiration to other workers and we can show other workers we will not tolerate this, that we workers deserve better.”