The hospitality sector is struggling to comprehend the “immobilist” stance and considers it “impossible” to achieve a collective agreement within two weeks.
SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, APR. (Press Europa) –
The hospitality committee, comprised of UGT, base unionists, the Canarian intersindical, and others, declared this Thursday that the impending strike within the tourism sub-sector during Holy Week is “inevitable” due to employers’ refusal to revisit salaries prior to commencing negotiations for collective agreements.
In a collective statement, they noted the “failure” of the meeting called on Thursday by the General Directorate of Labour, as employers remain in an “immobilist” position despite enjoying significant profits and revenue over the years.
The unions continue to advocate for the recovery of purchasing power lost over the past three years, demanding an increase of 5.45%, with an additional rise of 2% for the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and 2.25% for the province of Las Palmas, to be established by 2025.
The committee asserts that they have agreed to commence negotiations for both agreements but have already warned that a strike is “absolutely impossible” to avoid.
Along those lines, they detail their willingness to negotiate “until the last moment” to avert the strike, recognised by CCOO, which has joined the movement — but caution about the expected “mass participation” and demonstrations outside the hospitality establishments.
The committee has reminded employers that “this is a battle they have already lost” against workers, who are “demanding that the substantial profits from the tourism sector translate into salary enhancements and improved working conditions,” and for the Canarian society as a whole, “which has taken to the streets to insist that the substantial earnings from tourism will reflect positively on the services that citizens require, including housing, mobility, and educational infrastructure.”
In this context, it highlights that the widespread shortage of personnel in the sector has led to businesses being unable to “overwhelm” their current workforce.
“We are confident that the general strike of the hospitality sector in the Canary Islands on Thursday and Good Friday will be a significant success for the working class and a wake-up call for entrepreneurs and employers within the tourism industry,” they assert.
Employers Stress Their “Good Faith”
Both Ashotel (Association of Hotels and Extra-Hotels in Tenerife, La Palma, La Gomera, and El Hierro) and Aero (Association of Restaurant and Leisure Entrepreneurs) have agreed to discuss wage adjustments, but strictly within the context of collective agreement negotiations, “as has been the practice for over 30 years, ensuring social peace in the principal economic sector of the Canary Islands,” they emphasise in a joint statement.
Furthermore, they have defended their “good faith” by attending all meetings following the “strike notice” issued by the unions, and they are making a “call” to refocus the terms of the negotiations.
The two employers acknowledge the mediation efforts by the Ministry of Tourism and Employment of the Government of the Canary Islands but assert that it is within the realm of collective bargaining that “any requests can be properly addressed and deliberated to reach what they hope will be a consensus agreement,” encompassing not only financial matters but also the day-to-day operations of the businesses, leading them to believe that negotiation tables for the agreements should be established.
They also highlighted that, over the last 20 years, wages have risen by 47.30%, while the provincial Consumer Price Index (CPI) during the same period increased by 41.80% and the national CPI by 41.75%.
“While it is undeniable that in the past four years there has been a decline in purchasing power due to the high inflation recorded, these figures illustrate the progress of wages in the sector, which have consistently surpassed inflation,” they assert.
In fact, they indicate that Ashotel, Aero, and Base Trade Unionists (SB) signed the current Collective Hospitality Agreement for the province (covering accommodation and food and drink services) in September 2022 for a four-year term from 2022 to 2026, stipulating a total salary increase of 10.25%, albeit without the endorsement of CCOO and UGT.
The existing agreement outlines the following annual increases for the four-year period of 2022-2026: 3%, 2.75%, 2.5%, and 2%.
