The harmony within the tourism sector of southern Gran Canaria has once again erupted following a highly tense incident that ended up in court. A Livvo Hotels (Martinón Group) establishment in the heart of Playa del Inglés became the scene of an unprecedented confrontation between employees and management, a conflict that began with a series of internal disciplinary proceedings and culminated in a heated argument in the management office.
Everything came to a head when a growing number of complaints about violations of internal regulations finally broke the company's patience. The housekeeping staff and general services personnel watched in astonishment as a series of incidents unfolded, including the misuse of mobile phones during working hours and smoking on the emergency stairs of the twelfth floor, an area strictly off-limits due to fire safety protocols and the need to maintain a professional image for hotel guests.
The untenable situation finally erupted when management summoned an employee who had been with the company since December 2016 to deliver the corresponding disciplinary notices. Present at the meeting were the complex's CEO, the head housekeeper, and a union representative acting in an advisory capacity. Upon receiving the documents and her refusal to sign the acceptance forms, the atmosphere turned completely hostile.
The employee lashed out at the head housekeeper, blaming her for her situation, and, addressing the manager with a defiant attitude and bloodshot eyes, leaned on the desk, pointing her finger at him from close range. Amid shouts and curses, she uttered a direct threat that has already become part of the annals of tourism-related labor disputes in the islands: "Get ready, because I'm going to call the Kellys," she spat before calling the manager a liar three times in a row in front of the witnesses present.
Following the company's decision to terminate her contract through a swift disciplinary dismissal, the employee attempted to overturn the measure, alleging a violation of her fundamental rights and a disproportionate reaction. However, the courts have unequivocally upheld the hotel company's actions, ruling that the severity of the insults, the complete loss of good faith in the contract, and the blatant disregard for superiors irreparably damage the climate of mutual trust essential for the operation of a top-tier resort during peak season.
