The Canary Trade Union Federation - composed of the FSOC and SBC unions - makes a firm call to the Canary Islands Autonomous Parliament to approve, without delays or substitutions, the amendment to the Tourism Planning Law that establishes the obligation to install mechanised adjustable beds, as well as motorised trolleys in the tourist establishments of the archipelago.
This measure is a historical demand of the cleaning ladies and an indispensable condition for the real improvement of their working and health conditions, in line with the principles of the Law on Prevention of Occupational Risks. The manual handling of heavy beds and the dragging of heavy trolleys along roads and slopes is one of the main causes of musculoskeletal injuries among these workers, so providing hotels with adjustable beds is not a luxury or an option, but a preventive necessity.
The Canary Trade Union Federation urges the parliamentary groups to act responsibly and not to give in to the pressures of the tourism lobby, prioritising the labour rights and health of the sector's workers over the economic interests of the hotel business.
Likewise, and in this context, the Canary Trade Union Federation has asked the Government of the Canary Islands to commit, on behalf of the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands, to address the State Government to recognise cleaning ladies as a particularly vulnerable group, due to the arduous and morbidity conditions accredited in numerous technical and medical studies. This recognition would facilitate access to early retirement due to especially arduous, toxic or dangerous work, in accordance with the provisions of article 206 of the Consolidated Text of the General Social Security Law, and in the regulations for regulatory development.
We reiterate the urgency of drafting and approving a new Tourism Planning Law in the Canary Islands that establishes clear limits to tourist saturation, a phenomenon that is seriously impacting the territory, natural resources and the quality of life of Canary citizens.
The current situation demands political courage, institutional responsibility and a clear will to put the rights of workers and the sustainability of the archipelago before the economic interests of the tourism sector.
