The Kellys of Lanzarote will gather next March 8, coinciding with Women's Day, in front of the Rubimar hotel in Playa Blanca to protest the statements made by the director of this hotel establishment on the program Equipo de Investigación, from La Sexta, broadcast last Friday. The program, dedicated to the situation of the chambermaids' collective in different parts of Spain, also arrived in Lanzarote. And in addition to workers from the island, the director of Rubimar intervened, stating that in his establishment, in recent years, half of the staff who perform these tasks are men, noting that "they even do an even better job because they don't have problems taking care of children". Statements that the spokesperson for Las Kellys on the island, Myriam Barros, has described as "aberrant".
On Radio Lanzarote-Onda Cero, Barros has called on all the women of the island to support her call: "We will be at the doors of the hotel to tell that man to grow up, that times have changed, that you can't be so macho."
The representative of this group, which calls itself Las Kellys in reference to "those who clean rooms", explained that after the program they have received "many expressions of support and affection" and that the problems faced daily by these women were reflected in it. "You can't stand that pace of work. A normal person can't make 30 rooms a day because it produces wear and tear on the bones and joints that you will never recover," she detailed, indicating that, in addition, it is intended to raise the retirement age. "As one girl said, this is a woman-killing job," she added.
"Regularization of the workload"
In addition to this protest, Las Kellys plan to gather on March 16 in front of a hotel "very emblematic on the island", integrated into the Insular Association of Hotel and Apartment Businessmen of Lanzarote (Asolan). Barros explained that they have given an "ultimatum" for the workload they endure in that establishment to be regularized. "If this regularization does not occur immediately, on the 16th we will be at the doors of this establishment. We hope that the company will take measures before," said the spokesperson for Las Kellys.
In this case, she assured that the workload of the chambermaids is "terrifying". Thus, she indicated that "there are girls on the afternoon shift who get to carry up to 70 covers". In addition, these are rooms that require "more cleaning" than a standard one, so "the girls cannot finish their work during their working day and have to stay longer or do it at breakneck speed, which harms their health". Barros explained that fifteen days ago they tried to reach an agreement "and it seemed that everything had been solved", but that "a week later we are still having complaints from the maids".
Regarding the relationship with Asolan, Barros indicated that the meeting they held a couple of months ago with this association "was a charade". In this sense, she said that today they continue to find "Asolan hotels that do not respect collective agreements and health and safety regulations".
"The institutions should have taken forceful measures"
On the other hand, the representative of Las Kellys believes that in the time that this group has been around, "political institutions should have taken forceful measures" aimed at improving the conditions of the sector. In the case of the island, however, she has recognized the support of Somos Lanzarote, Podemos, IU and the PSOE. "But the regional authorities and the central government are not taking action or adopting measures," she lamented.
Despite everything, Las Kellys have managed to take their demands to the European Parliament thanks to the MEP for Alicante, Marina Albiol, who offered them "the possibility of presenting a petition" to this institution. In fact, they prepared a document asking "that everything related to occupational risks, the safety of pregnant women, the promotion of nurseries and the attempt to monitor the retirement age be monitored". A document that, according to her, has been admitted for processing, so they are "very satisfied".
