Ten B.C. hotel workers have committed to an open-ended hunger strike in hopes of pressuring the government to ensure laid-off workers鈥� jobs are secured.

鈥淲e鈥檝e seen a lack of leadership in terms of ensuring these jobs are protected, meanwhile the same hotel industry that is terminating long term employees are asking for a $680 million bailout,鈥� said Zailda Chan, president of Unite Here Local 40. 鈥淭his is why we鈥檙e resorting to such drastic measures.鈥�

According to Chan, at least 80 per cent of the union鈥檚 members in Greater Victoria have been laid off, most have been unemployed since mid-March.

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The 10 members will be joined by another 20 over the coming days, all with different ranges of forgoing food. An encampment will be set up on the Legislature lawn throughout the hunger strike but will be taken down each evening. Hunger strikers will only be sipping on water and will be housed together throughout the strike.

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Naden Abenes, one of the strikers who was laid off from the Hyatt Regency in Vancouver, will be fasting for five days.

鈥淢ost of us who have been laid off did nothing wrong, we stayed home to protect the public because the government asked us to,鈥� she told the small crowd gathered at the base of the stairs of the Legislature on Monday.

Abenes has been relying on the Canada Emergency Response Benefit and the Temporary Rental Supplement Program, but worries what will happen when the programs run out. 鈥淭his means I have to consider giving up my apartment and staying with different friends and give them rent,鈥� she said adding she doesn鈥檛 know what she鈥檚 going to do next month.

The same group gathered last month demanding the right to return to work.

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