Laura Camargo of Podemos yesterday accused the hotel industry of worker exploitation and fraud during the first meeting betwen the two bodies, which clearly did not get off to a good start.
In the meeting with the Majorca Hoteliers Federation, she said that nine out of ten employment contracts are temporary and that overtime is not paid.
It would be desirable, she added, were these conditions to be changed in the next few weeks, but she doubted that they would be as the interests of the federation are not the same as those of workers and never have been. “This year we will beat tourism records but at the same time we will beat the record for job insecurity,” said Camargo, whose party will be meeting the federations in Minorca and Ibiza with the same aim in mind, that of creating decent working conditions.
Camargo insists that things have changed and that the hoteliers no longer have the power they have had in the past.
From now on, she said, the needs of workers will have to be taken into consideration and that “the laws will not be dictated by the hoteliers”.
Inmaculada de Benito for the federation reiterated that there are no data to show any fraud and that, as shown by inspections and by statistics, the hotel sector is unique in not having destroyed jobs while also having strict labour conditions agreements and maximum compliance. “We are faithful to the workers,” she said.
With regard to inspections, David Abril of Més said that no one could deny that the black economy had grown because of the crisis and that the regional government is working on re-employing ten inspectors, whose positions were cut by the Bauzá administration.
There will also be, added Abril, an urgent plan against labour fraud.