This week is Global Week of Action for Hotel Housekeepers. As EU institutions increasingly recognise abusive subcontracting as a major barrier to equal treatment in the labour market, EFFAT stands in solidarity with hotel housekeepers across Europe.
These essential workers are too often employed by subcontractors, some of them unscrupulous, who leave them vulnerable to abuse, wage theft, social dumping, and unsafe working conditions. The tourism sector relies heavily on subcontracted housekeepers, mostly women, who endure heavy workloads while earning well below the wages established by sectoral collective bargaining agreements in the hospitality industry. This lack of equal treatment not only undermines workers’ rights but also contributes to growing labour shortages in the hospitality sector, as precarious conditions drive experienced staff away from the industry.
Hotel housekeepers keep our hospitality sector running, yet many continue to face precarious conditions hidden behind subcontracting structures. In the framework of the EU Quality Jobs Roadmap, EFFAT’s advocacy plan will be based on the EFFAT Model Directive on Labour Intermediaries and Fair Working Conditions across subcontracting chains which includes the fight for a ban of subcontracting for core activities.
Fair pay, safe workplaces, and respect for labour rights are not optional, they are fundamental in Europe and beyond. EFFAT calls on its affiliates to amplify our demands and use the Global week of action for hotel housekeepers to show their support and solidarity.
