The Local Committee of New Canaries-Canarian Bloc (NC-BC) in Yaiza has put the focus on the situation faced by the chambermaids of the municipality coinciding with the arrival of Holy Week, one of the periods of greatest tourist intensity of the year.
The local spokesperson for the Canaristas, Luis Miguel Valiente, recently held a meeting with representatives of the Las Kellys association, led by its spokesperson Myriam Barros, along with members of the organization's local committee, in which the working conditions of the group and the impact that hotel occupancy peaks have on their daily lives were addressed.
From NC-BC they warn that the increase in tourist activity cannot continue translating into work overloads nor into situations that compromise the physical and mental health of the workers.
“We are talking about working days that, in many cases, are simply unsustainable. It cannot be normalized that the tourist success of Playa Blanca is sustained at the cost of the extreme wear and tear of those who make that model possible,” Valiente affirmed.
In this context, the Canarian formation insists on the need to strengthen institutional control mechanisms. In particular, it demands a greater presence of the Labor Inspectorate during periods of high occupation, with the aim of guaranteeing compliance with current labor regulations and preventing possible abuses.
Likewise, NC-BC has highlighted the recent approval in the Parliament of the Canary Islands of an initiative to promote the implementation of adjustable beds in hotel establishments, a measure aimed at reducing the physical workload of chambermaids.
“Liftable beds are not a whim of housekeepers, but a necessity to protect their health. This measure, backed by the broad majority of the Parliament of the Canary Islands, marks the way towards a more human and responsible tourism model”, Valiente pointed out.
The spokesperson for NC-BC highlighted that this proposal had the support of all political forces represented in the Parliament of the Canary Islands, with the exception of VOX's far-right, evidencing a broad social and institutional consensus regarding the improvement of the sector's working conditions.
Furthermore, NC-BC emphasizes the importance of strengthening the internal organization of the collective. “It is fundamental that workers know their rights and actively participate in their works councils. Organization is a key tool to defend dignified working conditions,” they add.
As a concrete measure at the local level, NC-BC in Yaiza proposes the creation of a free municipal labor advisory office that can provide coverage not only to chambermaids, but also to other vulnerable groups. This service would be staffed by qualified professionals in the legal and labor fields, offering guidance, accompaniment, and support in the defense of rights.
“It is essential that institutions step forward. It is not enough to recognize the problem: it is necessary to act with concrete measures that protect those who sustain the main economic engine of the municipality,” stressed Valiente.
Thus, NC-BC reaffirms its commitment to the improvement of labor conditions in the tourism sector and to the construction of a more just and humane model, in which the well-being of workers is the center of economic activity.