Ninety-five staff at the Stradey Park Hotel in Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, have been told they will lose their jobs as the hotel is set to house up to 241 asylum seekers. The 50 full-time and 45 part-time employees will stop working on 10 July, the same day asylum seekers are due to move in.
Staff were informed during a meeting on Tuesday morning, after an email was sent via management. The meeting, which lasted about half an hour, did not include any representatives from the hotel's owners, Sterling Woodrow. Some staff joined via phone, while others were called afterwards. Workers were described as 'shocked' but also relieved to have answers after weeks of uncertainty.
All booked events at the hotel, including weddings after 10 July, have been cancelled. On Sunday, about 100 protesters marched against the plans, which Carmarthenshire council previously said it was 'firmly against'.
Llanelli MP Dame Nia Griffith criticised the treatment of staff, calling it 'a disgraceful and degrading way to treat the workers'. She said hotel owners Clearsprings and the UK government should 'hang their heads in shame'.
A Home Office spokesman said the use of hotels to house asylum seekers is 'unacceptable', with over 51,000 asylum seekers currently in hotels costing £6m a day. The department said it engages with local authorities and works to ensure safe arrangements for residents and local people.
