Around 160,000 workers in the hospitality sector of the Balearic Islands are set to receive a significant wage increase of 8.5% over the next two years. This development stems from the II Tripartite Agreement for the Quality of Employment in the Hospitality Sector, which was officially signed on Wednesday at the Consolat de Mar, in the presence of the Govern President, Francina Armengol.
Under the terms of the new agreement, which will be effective for two years, workers can expect to receive a 5% salary increase in 2023, followed by a further 3.3% increase in 2024. Following the signing of the agreement, President Armengol expressed her emotional response to the occasion, remarking that it was a day of joy and strength for the Balearic Islands, highlighting the crucial role of social dialogue in reaching this important outcome.
The President of the Balearic Executive, Francina Armengol, has emphasized the agreement’s notable inclusion of a methodology to assess the workload of chambermaids. “Our focus is not just on providing employment opportunities, but on ensuring the quality of work,” stressed Armengol. She went on to express gratitude to the Department of Economic Model’s team for their hard work in bringing about this agreement and thanked all those who signed it.
Meanwhile, the Conseller of Economic Model, Tourism, and Labor, Iago Negueruela, has noted that the agreement was the product of “an intense effort that required countless hours of work.” Furthermore, he praised the exceptional ability of the business and social representatives of the Islands to reach a consensus. “The sheer fact of achieving such widespread representation is already a significant accomplishment,” he added.
In fact, the agreement has garnered the endorsement of several prominent organizations, including UGT, CCOO, the Hotel Business Federation of Mallorca (FEHM), CAEB Restoration, the Hotel Business Federation of Ibiza and Formentera (FEHIF), the Hotel Association of Menorca, Pimeef, the Menorcan Association of Cafeterias, Bars and Restaurants, and the Balearic Association of Leisure and Entertainment (Abone).
The II Tripartite Agreement for Employment Quality includes several key provisions beyond the aforementioned 8.5% wage increase over the next two years and the implementation of workload measurement for chambermaids. These additional measures include the adaptation of policies to reconcile personal, family, and work-life with European standards, the implementation of accident-prevention measures, the expansion of training opportunities for workers, and the establishment of a dedicated task force to analyze and address specific issues in the catering sector.
In terms of worker training initiatives, the Govern has allocated more than 40 million euros to support the sector, including investments in key infrastructures. According to Negueruela, some of these facilities are already under construction, while others will need to be built from scratch.
To this end, a tripartite working commission will be established to analyze and evaluate the current state of training across various professions. Additionally, the Govern will promote the public offering of vocational training programs.
The newly established working table for the Restoration and Leisure sector, which will be in effect for a period of two years, will facilitate ongoing discussions between catering employers and unions to identify and address the most pressing issues facing the sector.
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