The 'Les Menuires Seven' have shown the power of the seasonaire today by barricading themselves into a luxury chalet in a protest over pay.
Yodel just spoke to Aanya, one of the seven. She told us that at the beginning of February they applied for season work with a local tour operator in Les Menuires, Three Valleys after seeing various chalet and childcare roles advertised on a ski forum. They now claim not to have been paid and their positions have been terminated after just one week of employment. Many people in Les Menuires and the neighbouring resort of Riberty appear to have joined the cause and the group have created a Facebook page to promote their plight.
The group told Yodel that they have job offers stating their job descriptions, rate of pay and employment period and five of the seven headed to Les Menuires around 3 weeks ago, in advance of the busy half term week to take up their new positions for the rest of the season. It's claimed that after half term a representative of their employer visited the team in their staff chalet and they were asked to leave their accommodation immediately as their positions had been terminated. She says that the justification from their employer was that there weren't enough guests to sustain their employment. When asked for their wages owed they claim that they were denied payment.
The group have taken matters into their own hands by barricading themselves into an empty luxury chalet operated by their former employer. Supporting locals are looking after them and they are in contact with the owner, who must surely be hoping for a speedy resolution as the chalet is expecting new guests this Saturday!
Yodel contacted the Les Menuires chalet company at the centre of the claims made by the Les Menuires 7 group. It appears that no one from the company is available to comment at this time.
Members of the Les Menuires Seven were interviewed on BBC breakfast radio in Norwich this morning and Yodel has watched their Facebook followers grow from 600 to 1147 as we finish this article!