The CCOO union denounces that some employers complain about absenteeism in the Canary Islands and then do not attend the Joint Committee convened according to the Collective Agreement for the Hotel Industry of the Province of Las Palmas to address accidents, illnesses and absenteeism at work, "which worries employers so much every three months to make statements saying that the working population of the Canary Islands does not want to work."
According to the union, neither the Federation of Businessmen of Hospitality and Tourism of Las Palmas (Feht), nor the Insular Association of Hotel and Apartment Businessmen of Lanzarote (Asolan) attended the meeting convened on Wednesday, December 13. The Fuerteventura employers' association (Asofuer) and the Canary Islands Business Federation of Leisure and Restaurants (Fecao) did attend.
The union denounces the "lack of investment in preventive matters by companies" to provide resources to their Health and Safety Committees. "It is easy to cry out to the heavens every quarter saying how worried they are about absenteeism but without sitting down to take effective measures to improve the health of the working population in the hotel sector, which is diminished by strained staff and unsustainable workloads."
Measuring the workload of chambermaids
CCOO has focused on the situation of chambermaids: "We are far from being able to protect their health and that of other groups, plagued by occupational diseases and temporary disabilities derived from their work activity, which end up in Social Security."
The union proposes that the agreement reached in the Balearic Islands between the administration, employers and unions be emulated in the Canary Islands to measure the workload of chambermaids and thus reduce the risks inherent in their jobs.
CCOO denounces that it sent a document in this regard to the employers on October 10, which should have started to be worked on at this Wednesday's meeting. For the moment, they say, they have not received any counterproposal.
The union accuses the employers of "apathy" when it comes to working on measures and reaching agreements that benefit the staff.