Unions have announced that staff at several hotels in the south of Tenerife are planning to strike tomorrow, Saturday 10th August, as part of ongoing negotiations for increased wages and better working conditions related to Article 32 of the Hotel Industry Collective Agreements.
Sindicalistas de Base held a press conference yesterday to address the situation at the hotels where agreements have yet to be reached, which include complexes that are part of the H10 group and Spring Hotels group.
Negotiations are also ongoing for housekeeping staff at the H10 Costa Adeje Palace and Sol Arona Tenerife, although progress has been reported in these cases. The union remains hopeful that an agreement can be reached before the strike, scheduled 10:00am tomorrow, with demonstrations planned outside each hotel.
The press conference featured Manuel Fitas, Secretary of Institutional Affairs at Sindicalistas de Base; Francisco Javier Fernández, Secretary General; along with committee members Roberto Portas, María Espinosa, and Julio Velázquez.
Manuel Fitas emphasised that the workers' demands are driven by widespread dissatisfaction with the fact that tourism benefits have not translated into improved living standards or wages for the local population. He cited increased housing costs and traffic congestion as examples of the pressures faced by residents, exacerbated by a lack of staff.
Francisco Javier Fernández reported that agreements are close for the Sol and Costa Adeje Palace hotels, while discussions with the Spring Hotels chain are ongoing. The strike remains a possibility for the Spring Hotels due to insufficient progress. The union plans to hold assemblies at the three Spring Hotels (Arona Gran, Bitacora, and Vulcano), today to review a new proposal from the management, though previous offers have been deemed inadequate.
Fitas noted that the workers have recognized differences between the agreements in Las Palmas and Santa Cruz de Tenerife. He explained that while both agreements had the same salary increases, the Tenerife agreement includes additional negotiations for salary increases based on hotel performance and revenue. He highlighted that the strike at H10 Costa Adeje Palace specifically involves housekeeping staff and has led to an agreement to adjust work times for "departure rooms."
At Sol Arona, discrepancies remain in various job categories, which are still below the Las Palmas agreement. An agreement has been reached to retroactively align these categories, including roles like assistant waiter, animator, and housekeeper.
Despite the planned strike at Spring Hotels, progress is being made. María Espinosa reiterated that the union is only asking for a salary increase that reflects the current workload, especially given the increased physical demands on roles such as dish washers, kitchen helpers, and cleaners post-COVID.
