CANARY Island beach workers are set to plunge four tourist hotspots into jeopardy with strikes this summer. Thousands of Brits could now be left without sunbeds and umbrellas in the San Bartolomé de Tirajana region of Gran Canaria , Spain , as staff protest about their precarious working conditions. An indefinite strike will begin on Saturday, June 8, meaning popular beaches like Playa del Inglés, El Cochino, Maspalomas, and Meloneras are all at risk of having no staff on site, the Canarian Weekly report.
The protest is aimed at Perfaler SL, a company who employs the workers but saw their service contract expire in 2011. The Federation of Canary Islands Trade Unions (FSC) and the FSOC have expressed their frustration over more than a year and a half of failed talks with the company. They have issued a statement explaining the strike is a result of prolonged negotiations without coming to an agreement.
The unions have demanded updates to their working conditions to meet current legal standards, but have seen next to no progress. The worker's demands include: Local authorities remain hopeful of finding a solution to the dilemma. Yilenia Vega, the municipal councillor overseeing this area, confirmed that the local government is considering increasing payments to Perfaler SL to help support better wages for the workers.
However, this increase would need to be gradual, and might not be enough to prevent further conflict. And with the strike date just days away, pressure is bui.
