Related news: Mallorca hotels wanting to tackle unjustified absenteeism of up to 30%

Negotiations for the new collective bargaining agreement for the Balearic hospitality industry got under way on Thursday and are scheduled to last until May 22. The two headline issues were and will be pay and the working week. But there are various other issues that will determine the final deal. On the union side these include workload and heat stress. For the employers there is unjustified absenteeism .

Although various studies set the rate of absenteeism in the Balearics as being among the lowest in Spain, the Mallorca Hoteliers Federation maintains that its own studies point to an increasingly worrying upward trend to anything between 20% and 30% since the pandemic. Javier Vich, the federation's president, said on Thursday that the hoteliers aren't approaching the negotiations with any firm 'red lines' that are non-negotiable , but he accepted that the two sides do differ in terms of their priorities. Absenteeism is one of these.

The unions can potentially counteract this by arguing that provisions for workload measurement that were established under the 2023 agreement are not being met. Their position is also that workload obligations, including periods of rest, need to be extended to kitchen and restaurant staff; the 2023 agreement focused on chambermaids. As well as workload, there have to be measures to combat heat stress. Primarily an issue for kitchen staff, the unions have broadened this to workers affected by heatwaves and higher summer temperatures - waiters and waitresses on terraces most obviously.

Thursday's initial meeting was at the headquarters of the Mallorca Hoteliers Federation. The representatives of the UGT and CCOO unions insisted yesterday that a pay increase and a reduced working week must go hand in hand. They were reluctant to stipulate the level of increase they are seeking, but it is understood to be at least ten per cent over two years (the whole agreement may well be for four years). The UGT in particular have previously spoken about increases of above five per cent per annum; as much as ten per cent in fact.

José García Relucio of the UGT said: "Reducing working hours is a demand and salaries have to continue to rise in the same way with 35, 37 and a half or 40 hours a week." Both he and Silvia Montejano of the CCOO were critical of the Spanish Government's plan to cut the working week from 40 to 37.5 hours, Montejano saying the unions want the hospitality industry in the Balearics to be "pioneers" in establishing a 35-hour week .

Vich was equally insistent that pay and the working week should not be related. Referring to the government's plan, which will need the approval of Congress, he said: "We will first have to assess the financial impact of a reduction before addressing salary increases." He stressed that the hoteliers are aware of the need for pay increases and are in favour of them. "We are the first to want our workers to be well paid in order to attract people to our sector."

Although the negotiations are set to last until May, it is likely that any pay increases would be backdated to April. The current agreement expires on March 31.

35-hour working week, a 'red line' for Balearic hospitality industry negotiations

Balearic pay agreements of up to 15%

Mallorca hoteliers determined to tackle unjustified absenteeism of up to 30%

35-hour working week, a 'red line' for Balearic hospitality industry negotiations

Balearic pay agreements of up to 15%