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FRIDAY 21st AUGUST TO THURSDAY 3rd SEPTEMBER 2015
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Your fortnightly TVINGUIDE inside A FOOD EMPORIUM LOS CRISTIANOS
AFTERMATH OF ISLAND’S STORMS
Hotel agreement leads to breakaway strike threat “MINORITY” UNHAPPY WITH CONDITIONS
H
OTELS in Tenerife may see a degree of strike action on August 28th and 29th as some angry workers tell tourists: “We deserve more!” Leaflets have been distributed to holidaymakers in the main centres, including Los Cristianos, from a group of angry staff who feel their role in the improved economy of the island is not being recognised. They say tourism has been the main engine of growth but believe many hotel workers are not getting their just rewards and are being underpaid and under-valued for their efforts. The campaign fliers are not signed but it is believed the staff in question belong to the union UGT which did not sign a new agreement about pay and conditions. Secretary general of the Federation of CCOO-Canarias Services, Ignacio Lopez has warned the strike is illegal and there “would be consequences” if it went ahead. One of the sectors which could be involved is hotel cleaners who may refuse to carry out their work on these two days. The CCOO signed the agreement with the employers’ association, Ashotel following lengthy and sometimes heated discussions over two months. At one stage, 12 negotiators were dismissed amid claims they were
“clogging” the talks. The UGT, said to have a “small representation” in the hotel industry, retracted its support and did not sign. Ashotel has hailed the agreement as giving the best collective agreement for hotel workers in the whole of Spain, with wage increases of of 1.75 per cent, 1.5 per cent and 1.25 per cent during the first three years. The rises are described as “well above the national average”. The fourth year’s rise has yet to be decided. The agreement will last for four years and covers 50,000 employees in the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The agreement covers equal opportunities for men and women in the trade, gives a higher status for waiting staff and a loyalty bonus. Those on training contracts will also receive better wages than before. Union members who have split away from the main agreement are also expected to demonstrate outside some hotels on August 20th. Sr. Lopez said there was no need for the strike as the agreement had been ratified and was in force and he felt delegates needed to fully explain all the details to members before they walked out.
T
HE sun may be shining again in Tenerife but the recent violent thunderstorms have led to “aftermath” warnings.
This picture shows just some of the damage caused by the torrential rain which hit the island last week, leading to dozens of call-outs for the police and fire brigade. At one stage, all of the Canaries were on alert. A number of beaches and mountain roads were affected by falling stones and boulders,
DISGUST AT “POOL POOPING”
H
OLIDAY-makers have voiced their “utter disgust” at two separate incidents of human excrement being found in hotel swimming pools.
Both incidents happened in the south of Tenerife and were unconnected but each involved considerable expense for the establishments who had to drain the pools and check they were clear of contamination before reopening. In one case, this took three days. This has been a problem on other holiday islands but “not one you would expect in Tenerife, it was disgusting” said one parent. Anyone found doing this will face serious consequences, including possible police action.
creating hazardous conditions for motorists, especially at night. It also left local councils with a major mopping-up operation which continues into this week. In El Rosario in the north of Tenerife, the popular beaches of La Nea and Moro in Tabaiba saw major damage as our photograph shows.
Earth, weeds and stones were washed on to the area most used by swimmers and sunbathers and Moro had to be closed for safety reasons. The clearing up work is nearing completion and the beaches will reopen this week. Santa Cruz council has also warned users of the beach at Las Gaviotas to take extra special care when accessing the area which was also hit by landslides. There were nearly 90 in-
cidents in the Santa Cruz area alone, with some roads and tunnels having to be closed and one accident when a large stone hit a car. A house was also flooded in the village of San Andrés. The 112 emergency control centre dealt with over 100 calls but only a few flights had to be cancelled because of the conditions.