The lifeguards of external companies that provide their services in hotels of the Lopesan chain have pulled their colleagues from the German Life Saving Society and achieving the Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK), the prestigious German and British lifeguard associations, to support them with German and British tour operators regarding payment problems when working for Lopesan through an intermediary company that has been neglecting its salary obligations for months. The employees have also requested assistance from TUI and Viajes El Corte Inglés managers so that their problems and the plight of their families can be addressed: they cannot leave their jobs because certified lifeguards do not appear overnight.
This March, workers at the concessionaire companies Look Up and Vital Ocio staged demonstrations in front of the Costa Meloneras, Villa del Conde, and Faro de Maspalomas hotels, demanding "regular salary payments." These payroll delays have lasted up to six months, a situation that has prompted the MTC union to call for a protest, supported by the Workers' Commissions.
The MTC (Canary Islands Workers' Movement) union emphasizes that workers have been dealing with constant payment delays for months, stating that "it's time to say enough." According to the union, some employees have still not received their paychecks since September 2024. "The situation is unsustainable," the MTC denounced.
Both companies are responsible for managing lifeguard services at Lopesan group hotels. During the protests, which took place in some of the most touristic areas of Maspalomas, employees insisted on the need to receive their salaries on time and to stop what they described as the "illegal transfer of workers between group companies." Furthermore, the unions emphasized the importance of ensuring transparency in the decisions of senior company officials, especially regarding employee working conditions.
MTC states that "after reaching an agreement to suspend the strike, the company's legal representative failed to honor his commitment. Despite assuring them that there were no liquidity problems, it ultimately became clear that the agreement would not be honored. Therefore, we have decided to take action." The workers remain firm in their intention to hold further protests if concrete solutions to the conflict are not presented. "We have no choice but to demand what is rightfully ours. We will continue until this situation is resolved."
