The Canary Islands' hospitality and tourism industry associations have agreed to begin negotiations on current provincial collective bargaining agreements to address the "sector renewal" proposal put forward by the CCOO (Working Council of Workers). This union, however, maintains its strike notice for Easter in southern Gran Canaria, while both sides seek compromises that include concessions to workers. This progress came after a meeting convened by the General Directorate of Labor, held this Monday and attended by the strike committee and representatives of employers' organizations such as FEHT in Las Palmas, Ashotel and Aero in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Asolan in Lanzarote, and Asofuer in Fuerteventura.
According to Juan Pablo González, managing director of Ashotel, the agreement means the parties will soon meet at the provincial level. During these meetings, the CCOO, which is the majority union in Las Palmas and the secondary union in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, must formalize the reasons behind the strike notice scheduled for the key days of Easter. “Dialogue is always our priority. A strike benefits neither party, so we have room to negotiate solutions that are acceptable to both workers and companies,” stated González. He also acknowledged that employers will need to make additional efforts to reach a possible agreement.
González also emphasized that, while certain diagnoses put forward by the CCOO are accepted, some problems, such as mobility or homelessness, fall outside the scope of collective bargaining, so employers cannot offer direct solutions to these issues. Regarding the union's demand for salary increases of between 7% and 10%, Ashotel stated that the proposal is understandable, although he warned that employers will also present their own demands at the appropriate time. Regarding other requests, such as the elimination of split shifts or the implementation of labor improvements, such as elevating beds for chambermaids, González clarified that these decisions fall within the legislative sphere, not directly within the purview of employers.
With the Tenerife province's collective bargaining agreement in effect until July 2026, González made it clear that opening negotiations depends on both parties seeing a mutual interest in reaching agreements. For its part, the CCOO (Working Council of Workers) celebrated the fact that its strike notice had prompted employers to engage in dialogue, insisting on the need for salary, labor, and work-life balance improvements for workers in the sector.
Finally, Borja Suárez, general secretary of the CCOO Services Federation, emphasized that the negotiations will seek progress in areas such as occupational risk prevention and improved work shifts. He also reiterated the union's intention to achieve a wage increase of up to 10%, ensuring that workers' interests are the central focus of the collective bargaining discussions.
