Sheraton hotels and resorts are part of the Starwood Group, whose other brands include Westin, St. Regis, Le Méridien, W Hotels and the Luxury Collection.

Starwood calls them "distinct lifestyle brands" — upscale accommodations for affluent travelers and vacationers.

But brutal violations of the human rights of the company's employees can be part of that distinct lifestyle. Recently, workers at Sheraton hotels in Ethiopia and Maldives sought to exercise a basic human right: negotiate through their unions their employment terms and conditions. They got Sheraton management's full service abuse treatment — brutal mass dismissals and intimidation.

A prime location for rights abuses

Sheraton beckons prospective guests to the Sheraton Addis Hotel in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia with glittering pools, enchanting underwater music and dining options to delight the senses. Employees have recently had a lesson in the seamy side of this enchanting operation.

Last year, the union representing Sheraton Addis for many years began negotiating a renewal of their collective agreement. Both workers and management agreed to let the specialized government Arbitration Board assist. Negotiations were going well, when the company unilaterally withdrew from the process. Two days later, the hotel issued termination letters to 65 employees, all of them union members, including the negotiators agreed to by management and the union's officers. On July 31, management withdrew from the negotiations after declaring that it was unwilling to negotiate with employees whose contracts had been terminated!

Since then, the union has been bravely fighting for reinstatement for all the illegally dismissed union employees. Sheraton/Starwood license the brand and manage the hotel for a billionaire Saudi owner Forbes magazine identifies as the largest single investor in Ethiopia.

Paradise perfected?

"Welcome to a world of golden sunshine, fine dining, water sports and entertainment, topped off with warm Maldivian hospitality on our own private island", beckons the website for the Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa. But hospitality at the luxury resort doesn't extend to workers seeking to exercise basic human rights.

Last year, the Tourism Employees Association Maldives (TEAM) recruited a majority of Full Moon workers, and called on management to recognize, meet and negotiate with the union.

The hotel management’s response was to start disciplinary proceedings against the union secretary. When members gathered peacefully to demand a meeting to discuss the unfair targeting of their union secretary, management called the police, who used force to clear the premises. The next day, management fired the union President, Secretary and a third officer. Since then, 7 more union members and leaders have been sacked and one hundred union members have received disciplinary warnings – a possible prelude to dismissal. The resort is on a private island on which union leaders cannot set foot without facing arrest.

In Ethiopia and Maldives, Sheraton management is trying to eliminate trade unions with brutal methods designed to inspire fear: disciplinary procedures, intimidation, mass dismissals. The workers want to return to their jobs — with their union rights secured. Starwood refuses to talk with the unions — Shame on Sheraton!