The Socialist Parliamentary Group demanded this Tuesday that the Government of the Canary Islands support the approval of a Bill presented by the socialists last July with the aim of modifying the Tourism Planning Law of the Canary Islands, to promote the installation of adjustable beds in tourist establishments throughout the Archipelago, as the Balearic Islands did with its Tourism Law in 2022. In this way, it would allow for better cleaning of the rooms, favor the occupational health of the cleaning ladies, and reduce occupational accidents among the group.
The spokesperson for the Socialist Parliamentary Group, Sebastián Franquis, and the spokesperson for Employment, Gustavo Santana, accompanied by the spokesperson and founder of the Kellys of the Canary Islands, Miriam Barros; and the spokesperson for the Kellys Unión Tenerife, Carmen Luz Méndez, denounced the refusal made public by the Canarian Government to modify this Tourism Law, contrary to what was announced in the regional Chamber at the time, and warned that they will take it “to the ultimate consequences” such as going to the courts, if the Parliament's Bureau blocks the admission of the Bill.
In addition, they recalled that this measure is a “historic” demand of the cleaning ladies, because it means an improvement in their working conditions and allows them to reduce their physical effort when cleaning and making the beds.
Franquis and Santana have defended that the measure represents an “important advance” and have stated that the cleaning ladies “are essential to offer a quality service” in the hotel sector, in addition to being convinced that, if this measure works in the Balearic Islands, where all the hotel chains are already replacing the beds, it will work in the Canary Islands and in the rest of the country.
“The more adjustable beds, the fewer work injuries, the fewer sick leaves and the less injustice in the tourism sector", they pointed out.
In this sense, the representative of the cleaning ladies criticized the “incoherence” of the Canarian Coalition (CC) for not being able to support and promote in the Canary Islands what it does defend in the Congress of Deputies, and for its veto of this proposal for its vote and processing in the Parliament of the Canary Islands. “It is a disgrace what the Canarian Government is doing to us, vetoing a measure that improves the lives of 15,000 women in the Canary Islands. We have been fighting for eight years and our bodies are destroyed.”
Specifically, the objectives of the modification of the Law proposed by the socialists include a new article 44 so that tourist establishments are required that all beds, except for extra beds, be mechanically or electronically adjustable, to allow better cleaning of the room, promote the occupational health of the cleaning ladies, and reduce occupational accidents.
In addition, it is requested that the failure to maintain the correct operating status and updating of the mechanisms, equipment and facilities of adjustable beds in more than 40% of the beds offered be classified as a very serious offense.
The modification also includes the inclusion of a line of regional subsidies to help finance the implementation of adjustable beds in hotels with fewer than 50 rooms or small hotel establishments.
Both Franquis and Santana insisted that this is a demand of the Kellys and the unions, and recalled that the 20A demonstrations in the Canary Islands also demanded measures for the cleaning ladies. “The workloads of the cleaning ladies and the repetitive work negatively affect their health, increasing occupational accidents”, they added.
Likewise, they warned the Ministry of Tourism and Employment that they had announced their commitment in the Parliament of the Canary Islands to have sufficient credit to subsidize the installation of adjustable beds, a measure that does not need an ergonomic study as the Canarian Government has defended.
In addition, they stressed that there is already a Law in the Balearic Islands that includes this measure and that what is being taken to the Plenary is the admission to process the modification of the Law, so there will be time to modify everything that can be improved.
For the socialists, the reports of the Ministry of Tourism and Employment and the Treasury are “inconsistent” with what was said by the Canarian Government in the regional Chamber and with the situation of the sector in the islands, which is in an “excellent” economic situation.
In their opinion, “it is striking” that the same Government that in one year has approved 12 Decree Laws and that has only sent one ordinary law to the regional Chamber (to recognize a private university), is trying to “veto” the processing of a Bill that meets all the requirements to be taken into consideration by the Chamber.
“The Government's position is not a matter of form, timing or budget. It is a matter of political will and of offering a response to a claim from all groups and unions. We ask the political parties that make up the parliamentary arch to vote in favor of its admission for processing”, they added.
