The trade union Sava Turizem, which announced a warning strike of workers at Bernardin Hotels for Tuesday, continues negotiations with the company’s management. According to their estimates, the chances of an agreement are otherwise minimal.
The employees of the Bernardin Hotels, among them mainly the maids, want to achieve with the strike, among other things, the cancellation of the planned transfer of the maids to external contractors, the elimination of wage disparities, the immediate adjustment of basic wages to last year’s inflation (10.3 percent), the conclusion of an annex to the corporate collective agreement, a raise reimbursement of transportation costs to work at 21 cents per kilometer and full salary compensation for the duration of the strike.
The strike will begin at 10 a.m. at the employer’s premises, and 15 minutes later the activities with supporters and speakers will continue under the Hotel Histrion in Portorož on the promenade by the sea, explained the secretary of the Trade Union of Hospitality and Tourism Workers of Slovenia to Obalo Irena Jaklič Valenti.
Disappointed by the non-responsiveness of the government and SDH
The trade union warns that the planned transfer of the maids at Hotel Bernardin to the external contractor Aktiva cleaning would represent a harmful practice that affects the social and material situation of the workers. They also informed the government and Slovenian State Holding (SDH) about this, as Sava Turizem is owned by the company Sava, whose 90% owner is the state through SSH and Kapitalska družba, but they are “disappointed by the lack of responsiveness”.
They also warn of continued pressure on union members. “To make matters worse, this is happening in a state-owned company. The management of the company does not cultivate social dialogue, does not negotiate with the union and does not communicate,” said Jaklič Valenti.
“The fight against the transfer of employees to external contractors is so topical also because an identical business is also promising in other companies in the management of SDH in tourism at the same destination. More jobs are therefore at risk, and the pressure on employees is even greater,” she added.
The management of Sava Tourism highlights the seasonality of their work
Meanwhile, the management of Sava Turizm insists that they strictly comply with the law, and they attribute the transfer of employees to the seasonality of the company, among other things. “We are an extremely seasonal company, in which it is difficult to regulate fluctuations in the number of employed maids. On the Coast, for example, less than 100 rooms can be occupied per day in the low season, and 750 rooms per day in the high season,” they explained the decision at the beginning of the month.
Source: Rtvslo
