PANJIM: The Hotel Employees Federation of India (HEFOI) has demanded restarting of service charges on food bills and to hike minimum wages to hotel workers substantially and also payment of enhanced bonus etc.

The demand was made by HEFOI at its delegates conference in Chennai.

During the conference, the HEFOI said that service charge to hotel workers was recommended by a Parliamentary Committee headed by Diwan Chaman Lal way back in 1958. Incidentally, Rao Bahadur M S Oberoi, a hotel owner, was a member of this committee.

It said that Indians visiting abroad pay service charges in hotels and restaurants not only in western countries but also in Asian countries like Philippines, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Nepal etc. Ten per cent service charge is a legal right of hotel workers in Nepal.

The HEFOI said that banning of service charge and making it punishable mean that foreigners visiting India would not have to incur this cost.

“Cost reduction for the rich at the cost of poor is the objective of present government like its policies in many other sectors,” it added.

The HEFOI reviewed the overall attack on workers during the last three years and resolved to defend workers past gains including service charge rights.

The HEFOI demanded labour rights and legal rights for workers. Resolutions were adopted urging both — the Central and State governments to increase minimum wages to hotel workers substantially and also payment of enhanced bonus etc.

Most importantly the Chennai conference decided to intensify its campaign for service charge and challenge the ban imposed on service charge.

AITUC general secretary Christopher Fonseca, HEFOI general secretary Subhas Naik Jorge, Rafiq Abubakar and Marcelino Fernandes attend the conference.