Banbury hotel mistreated staff after migrant deal, MP says

A hotel used a Home Office contract to house migrants as an excuse not to pay staff, an MP has said.

Workers who lost their jobs staged a protest outside Whately Hall Hotel in Banbury, Oxfordshire, on 1 December.

Victoria Prentis, the Attorney General and MP for North Oxfordshire, said the hotel's behaviour was "unacceptable".

The site's owner said a small proportion of staff had taken redundancy and all staff had been paid their wages.

Former head chef Jordan Blencowe said staff learned of the Home Office contract on 25 November.

He said: "The hotel was cleared and the rooms stripped of luxury.

"Later we were told we were being made redundant because the [former operator of the] hotel was being liquidated."

Mr Blencowe said some of the 20 staff were offered new jobs there.

However he said others were told they would not be paid for November and would not receive notice, redundancy or holiday pay.

The chef said: "I was in complete shock... Being told [about the loss of wages] a couple of hours before all of your main direct debits come out was really, really horrible."

All November wages were eventually paid after staff protested by playing Christmas songs on loudspeakers outside the venue, Mr Blencowe added.

In a statement, the Home Office did not confirm the hotel's new function although it said some hotels were temporarily being used to house asylum seekers.

Ms Prentis said: "While hotels do remain a key part of the system, it is absolutely essential that all those previously employed by them are supported.

"The former operator should not use the Home Office's intervention as an excuse not to pay their staff.

"It is unacceptable that those at the Whately Hall have found themselves in this position, particularly at this time of year."

In a statement on behalf of the owner, Countrywide Hotels said: "A small proportion of the hotel team have taken redundancy, some voluntarily to suit their own position. All staff have been paid their wages."

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