The bankruptcy of Thomas Cook has caused a tourist complex on the island, specifically the Ficus apartments in Costa Teguise, to present this Wednesday a Temporary Employment Regulation File (ERTE), which would affect more than half of the staff, according to the general secretary of CCOO in Lanzarote, Vanesa Frahija.
"Last week, UGT and CCOO held a joint assembly because, although we had not yet had official information from the company, we knew that it was fully affected by the closure of Thomas Cook, because the workers themselves and the workers' representatives told us that they were without clients", said Frahija, who says that is why they already knew "what all this could lead to".
In fact, due to the lack of clients, they even sent their employees on vacation. "And indeed, this morning, they have communicated to the CCOO delegate that the company has made the decision to carry out an ERTE", Vanesa Frahija pointed out.
It has proposed to dismiss 30 of 50 workers for six months
According to the general secretary of CCOO, the company has proposed to dismiss "for six months" "about 30 workers" out of the 50 on staff. "But now we have to negotiate and we are going to fight for the least number of affected", said Vanesa Frahija, who explained that this Wednesday the first official meeting with the company will be held and the 15-day consultation period established by the Workers' Statute to negotiate will be opened.
"The company will carry out the ERTE because it has arguments to justify it, but, of course, what corresponds to the social part is to fight and defend the best interests of the workers", said Vanesa Frahija, who also pointed out that the company will have to "legally justify" the ERTE.
However, although she has stated that "the company has not communicated to CCOO the percentage of which they depended on Thomas Cook" in terms of occupancy, the union points out that, according to its data, "it was in 80% dependence".
"It is the first center that has fallen and super fast", said Vanesa Frahija, who said she does not know if there are establishments in a similar situation on the island. "We don't know, although we don't think so. That if there are affected establishments, but not in so much dependence on Thomas Cook, as has happened in Ficus. In addition, large hotel chains are not the same, which have other types of exits, rescues from the chain itself", she pointed out
And, although she has stated that CCOO and UGT held a meeting with the Cabildo and the employers on Monday, she pointed out that "they have not yet estimated the exact number of affected". "But we are doing our job of the social part, informing our delegates, the workers who come to the unions, to tell them to be calm, that all possible formulas will be sought. I know that the Cabildo is working, the Government of the Canary Islands and the State, that I know that on the 11th a package of measures will be approved for this", she concluded.
