HUNDREDS of Harrods workers will walk out over the Christmas season unless the luxury retailer meets their demands for fair pay and conditions, their union United Voices of the World said today.

The prospect of strikes loom across retail, restaurant, kitchen and cleaning departments after workers repeatedly raised grievances over poor pay, staff shortages and overwork. 

Workers say they were forced to vote to strike as management refuses to engage with UVW for negotiations.

The ballot delivered a 95 per cent vote in favour of walkouts.

Workers have been denied a Christmas bonus despite the store’s owners awarding themselves £180 million in dividends for the past year.

And while workers remained stuck with stagnant wages, Harrods’ managing director received a £2.1 million salary.

Harrods waiter and UVW member Alice Howick said: “As one of the world’s leading luxury department stores, Harrods should be setting the standard for retail and hospitality workers. 

“Instead, we are earning the living wage and denied basic benefits such as a food allowance and Christmas bonus — something which should be commonplace in a company accumulating millions of pounds in profit, year on year.”

Ana Ferreira, Harrods cleaner and UVW member, said: “In my 30 years in Harrods, I have learned that us cleaners are not given any value, we are seen as low people.

“I do this job because I’m a foreigner in this country and it’s the job that I can do and I had babies etc, so life got in the way. 

“Harrods has been a total disappointment because they don’t seem to value the good workers.”

A Harrods spokesperson said: “Those that have voted to strike, which amounts to 176 employees (approximately 10% of colleagues collectively in these specific affected areas), are a fractional minority of our workforce and we have contingency plans in place over the Christmas period to ensure our services are not disrupted by this planned action.

“We are committed to working with our colleagues directly to address concerns, as we have been to date and continue our constructive relationship with our recognised unions on pay and benefits.”