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Strike in the Greek Tourism-Food Sector, Aug 23
Posted by keeptalkinggreece in Tourism
Employees in the Greek tourism sector will launch a 24-hour strike across the country on August 23rd, 2011. The strike of employees in the catering sector of hotels aims to protest the government plans to exclude them from the so-called “heavy and unhealthy professions” . Furthermore, they demand unemployment insurance for the seasonal workers and ask the government to take measures and combat ’black’ work, as it often happens for the seasonal workers in the tourism industry.
The decision was taken amid the tourism season by the Federation of Workers and Employees of the Food Tourism Sector. According to the chairman of the Federation, the list of the Ministry of Labour casts doubts as to whether waiters, maids, cooks, bakers, confectioners would remain in the ‘heavy and unhealthy’ work category. . Employees in such a category can retire at the age of 50 or 55.
The chairman of the Federation made special reference to the extent of the undeclared or black work and complained that from the 550,000 workers in the industry, 130,000 work without insurance in the food sector and 98,000 are hotel employees.
If you are a tourist, please, do not panic! Get some crackers and beers, some tomatoes and cucumbers, crispy bread and water and spend a low calories day. Or visit a nice tavern nearby and enjoy a tasteful lu and or a romantic dinner. However, get information in advance whether personel in taverns and restaurants would be on strike as well…
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Waiters get flat feet, maids have to breath in chemicals and bakers, cooks have to work in warm conditions… Yes clearly “unhealthy and dangerous” jobs. Although… since Dominique Strauss Kahn the reasoning to include maids into that category has become very strong.
And what about those season workers and unemployment? I know that that discussion was done a quarter of a century ago in the Netherlands. There you had the same problem: season workers did not amass enough working weeks to be granted unemployment benefit after the rules were changed because of austerity measures in the 1980s. That was a shock to the system. But there were just two ways to go about it. Either pay them enough that they could stay out of work for 6 months without having to rely on taxpayers money to survive, or not giving them unemployment benefits when they accepted season work. Because they knew it was just temporary. The last solution was chosen. And now everyone who works in season work has to find other temporary work in the winter. If not? Hard luck. And yes, everybody still has to pay their IKA! Unfair? Maybe. But is it fair to keep the existing system going? Who pays for it in the end?
Ah, some of us still remember having to be served by all those male waiters in cafeteria’s, restaurants, etc. What a nice change it was sometime during the mid 1990s (i think) to have the young Greek goddesses come on the scene and become the standard for good service in Greek food establishments. Aesthetically pleasing young Greek women have actually made me visit a restaurant/cafe as opposed to the cranky old Katsufides men of yesteryear….
One side note as a tribute to Greek women… Years ago, when I took my Greek girlfriend to the USA for a visit, I told her that like Superman on the planet Krypton, he had special powers on earth but on his planet, he was just a normal guy. SO, like the Greek woman. In Greece, she is just one of many beautiful women. But, when she goes to America, like Superman, she has special powers called “BEAUTY AND SEX APPEAL” that mesmorize the American men. I saw it happen, over and over when my Greek girlfriend visited the USA.
Oh OH OH … lol