Brits face summer of rolling chaos on 12 Spanish holiday islands

British holidaymakers face potential strike action in popular tourist destinations this summer as unions threaten a number of walkouts due to a row over wages
Holidaymakers face disruption on 12 Spanish holiday islands this summer as workers threaten to hold a series of strikes.
Spanish hotel bosses have proposed substantial wage increases for their staff, but unions have rejected the offer, threatening disruptive strikes this summer that could impact thousands of British holidaymakers. Union leaders in the Balearic Islands are vowing "several days of strikes" in July and worker protests from the end of this month unless their pay demands are met.
‌
Meanwhile, in Tenerife and three other Canary Islands, British tourists have been warned to brace themselves for potential chaos this summer if hotel workers follow through with their threat to strike every Friday during July and August.
‌
The likelihood of walkouts in both popular holiday destinations has increased as employers raised their pay offers, only to be dismissed by union leaders who labelled the proposed rises as "crumbs."
The Canary Islands are made up of eight main islands: Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, La Palma, La Gomera, El Hierro, and La Graciosa. The Balearic Islands number 151 in total, but the big four workers will likely target with strikes are Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza, and Formentera.
At the same time as works threaten to strike over industrial disputes, overtourism protesters are planning to hit the streets in holiday hotspots across Spain.
Grassroots union members staged protests outside two hotels in southern Tenerife on Tuesday to protest against the Ashotel employers' association's "blocking" of a 6.5% wage increase before the negotiation of a new hospitality agreement.
‌
Hotel chiefs in the Balearic Islands upped a wage rise proposal already on the table to 9.5 per cent over three years - but were warned to expect a 'no' from worker representatives set to demand more than double that at a crucial meeting this afternoon. UGT union spokesman Jose Garcia Relucio described the offer ahead of the meeting as "more crumbs" and claimed hotel bosses wanted their workers to survive on tips.
READ MORE: Little-known airport rule could see Brits slapped with £1,000 fine
Further south, the prospect of strike action this summer seems more likely after a lukewarm response from unions to a proposed 13.5 per cent pay rise over three years by hotel association Ashotel. Late yesterday, Ashotel unveiled its new wage increase proposals, which would impact over 33,000 workers in Tenerife and the islands of La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro.
The statement read: "This increase is broken down as follows: seven per cent in the first year from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026, 3.25 per cent from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027, and the remaining 3.25 per cent from 1 July 2027 to 30 June 2028."
‌
A representative for the hotel association added, describing a previous Easter hotel strike in the area as "unfair": "Ashotel has always been open to negotiate, even with a collective agreement in force until 2026 and with a strike held at Easter, which it considers was unfair."
Union members are scheduled to vote on potential strike action next Monday in Tenerife and the western Canary Islands. If they proceed, the first strike is slated for July 4, followed by further industrial action every Friday for the remainder of July and August.
Unions are also planning to stage protests outside hotel entrances. During the last strike in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, union representatives highlighted that the tourism subsector depends on an increasingly precarious workforce, with exhausting workdays, insufficient wages for a decent living, and conditions that directly impact the physical and mental health of workers.
"They talk a lot about tourism excellence, about how we are a leading destination, but they don't talk about the conditions endured by the workers who keep this sector alive. It's over; it's time to recognise and value the role we play, and that must be reflected in a fair agreement," stated José Tomás Ramos, a member of the negotiating table for the Provincial Hospitality Collective Agreement in Santa Cruz de Tenerife for the UGT (Union of Workers' Unions).

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Daily Mirror

2 hours ago

• Daily Mirror

Inside world's 'creepiest' island with 160,000 corpses where tourists are banned

A chilling abandoned island were 160,000 people died and were buried has been pictured - the public is banned from setting foot on the creepy site A tiny island, known as the "creepiest" in the world, has banned adventurous tourists from ever entering the chilling site. The small patch of land, just off the coast of one of Italy's most famous cities, has a chilling history which has given it it's now scary reputation. The island of Poveglia sits just off the coast of the historic and picturesque city of Venice and is made up of three areas each as frightening as each other. The abandoned island, dubbed "the island of ghosts" is filled with derelict buildings that have been left to fall apart and crumble, including a former military fort. ‌ ‌ These unsteady and unsafe buildings have resulted in the strict ban that prohibits tourists from visiting the spooky island. Limited exceptions are made to this strict rule, for things like research or filming. The abandoned island gained it's chilling reputation from it's wretched history and use in the past. The island was a quarantine zone during the 18th century, where people who were infected with the plague were sent. Desperate people were forcibly taken to island, often against their free will, when they started to present the horrifying symptoms of the deadly Black Death. The 18-acre island turned from a quarantine zone and into a mass grave site where around 160,000 victims of the deadly disease died and were then buried. Local legends about the tragic island have said it is believed over 50% of the island's soil today has been made up of ash and decomposed body parts from the thousands of people who horribly died there. Despite the strict no visitors rule for the tiny island, two British explorers, Matt Nadin and Andy Thompson, posted a video of themselves visiting the eerie site, in 2020, onto their YouTube channel Finders Beepers History Seekers. ‌ The travelling duo said the island was "really, really eerie" and added that it was full of "dark history". Matt said: "The island is so full of dark, dark history, a hell of a lot of people died there and you really get a sense of the horrors that took place there while you're walking around. "The island is so full of dark, dark history, a hell of a lot of people died there and you really get a sense of the horrors that took place there while you're walking around. ‌ "They burnt all the bodies and left them where they lay. The island has never really been cleared properly or anything so everything has just been left. Later on, when it was turned into an asylum, and because people were shoved there out of the way of prying eyes, they started to do experiments on them, horrible, horrible stuff. "Whilst we were there, we heard the bell toll and that was quite spooky, that did actually freak me out a little bit. It was like an omen or something. The whole place was just really weird and eerie although you could tell from the tiles and the archways it would have been a beautiful building originally. "You could see that hardly anyone had set foot there for years because there is no graffiti or anything it's all just natural decay." Incredible images of the derelict island show how decades of no human activity on the site allowed for nature to take over and sprawl around and into the crumbling buildings.

North Wales Chronicle

2 hours ago

• North Wales Chronicle

Mike Lynch's superyacht fully raised above water for first time since it sank

Seven people died when the Bayesian sank off the Italian island on August 19, including billionaire Mr Lynch, 59, and his daughter Hannah, 18. The 56-metre (184ft) yacht was seen being held above the water by one of Europe's most powerful sea cranes near the fishing town of Porticello on Saturday afternoon. The yacht's propeller, rudder and keel all appeared to be intact. It was then lowered again slightly and salvage crews say that on Sunday it will be moved to Termini Imerese – where Italian prosecutors investigating the sinking are based. On Saturday morning, workers could be seen on the vessel, which is covered in mud and algae, while the canopy and guard rails are mangled. The full word 'Bayesian' could be seen on the stern of the yacht and a ladder which Italian coastguard officials say was originally on the ship to allow passengers to disembark was seen cracked and pointed upwards on the starboard side. Also visible on the top deck was the stump of the mast. Salvage workers say there were 18,000 litres of fuel on board. Investigators in the UK and Italy say raising the vessel is crucial to fully understanding what happened. Balloon-like kit will be used to lift the Bayesian's mast, a project insider said. The yacht's 72-metre (236ft) mast was cut off on Tuesday using a remote-controlled tool and rested on the seabed. He told PA: 'Lifting bags will be used on the mast, but this will not start until Tuesday or Wednesday. 'In the interim, the salvors on-site not accompanying Bayesian to port will be conducting a full sweep of the seabed site for any potential debris.' Meanwhile, Michele Maltese, of the Italian coastguard, told reporters that thermal cameras were used to check for any potential fuel leaks. A local law investigator was also at the scene, he said. Marcus Cave of British firm TMC Marine, which is overseeing the salvage efforts, said: 'This was a complex and precise lifting operation to recover Bayesian, and followed a step-by-step programme of salvage work. 'The salvage team has progressed in a systematic way that prioritised the safety of all working on site and minimised any potential impact on the environment. 'This care for personnel and for the environment will continue as Bayesian is transported into port tomorrow.' The vessel was originally expected to be raised last month, but salvage efforts were delayed after a diver died during underwater work on May 9, prompting greater use of remote-controlled equipment. About 70 specialist personnel had been mobilised to Porticello from across Europe to work on the recovery operation, which began last month. Inquest proceedings in the UK are looking at the deaths of Mr Lynch and his daughter, as well as Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer, 70, and his wife, Judy Bloomer, 71, who were all British nationals. Marine Accident Investigation Branch investigators said in an interim report that the Bayesian was knocked over by 'extreme wind'. The yacht had a vulnerability to winds, but the owner and crew would not have known, the report said. US lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife Neda Morvillo, and Canadian-Antiguan national Recaldo Thomas, who was working as a chef on the vessel, also died in the sinking. Fifteen people, including Mr Lynch's wife, Angela Bacares, were rescued. Mr Lynch and his daughter were said to have lived in the vicinity of London and the Bloomers lived in Sevenoaks in Kent. The tycoon founded software giant Autonomy in 1996 and was cleared in June last year of carrying out a massive fraud over the sale of the firm to Hewlett-Packard (HP) in 2011. The boat trip was a celebration of his acquittal in the case in the US.

Leader Live

2 hours ago

• Leader Live

Mike Lynch's superyacht fully raised above water for first time since it sank

Seven people died when the Bayesian sank off the Italian island on August 19, including billionaire Mr Lynch, 59, and his daughter Hannah, 18. The 56-metre (184ft) yacht was seen being held above the water by one of Europe's most powerful sea cranes near the fishing town of Porticello on Saturday afternoon. The yacht's propeller, rudder and keel all appeared to be intact. It was then lowered again slightly and salvage crews say that on Sunday it will be moved to Termini Imerese – where Italian prosecutors investigating the sinking are based. On Saturday morning, workers could be seen on the vessel, which is covered in mud and algae, while the canopy and guard rails are mangled. The full word 'Bayesian' could be seen on the stern of the yacht and a ladder which Italian coastguard officials say was originally on the ship to allow passengers to disembark was seen cracked and pointed upwards on the starboard side. Also visible on the top deck was the stump of the mast. Salvage workers say there were 18,000 litres of fuel on board. Investigators in the UK and Italy say raising the vessel is crucial to fully understanding what happened. Balloon-like kit will be used to lift the Bayesian's mast, a project insider said. The yacht's 72-metre (236ft) mast was cut off on Tuesday using a remote-controlled tool and rested on the seabed. He told PA: 'Lifting bags will be used on the mast, but this will not start until Tuesday or Wednesday. 'In the interim, the salvors on-site not accompanying Bayesian to port will be conducting a full sweep of the seabed site for any potential debris.' Meanwhile, Michele Maltese, of the Italian coastguard, told reporters that thermal cameras were used to check for any potential fuel leaks. A local law investigator was also at the scene, he said. Marcus Cave of British firm TMC Marine, which is overseeing the salvage efforts, said: 'This was a complex and precise lifting operation to recover Bayesian, and followed a step-by-step programme of salvage work. 'The salvage team has progressed in a systematic way that prioritised the safety of all working on site and minimised any potential impact on the environment. 'This care for personnel and for the environment will continue as Bayesian is transported into port tomorrow.' The vessel was originally expected to be raised last month, but salvage efforts were delayed after a diver died during underwater work on May 9, prompting greater use of remote-controlled equipment. About 70 specialist personnel had been mobilised to Porticello from across Europe to work on the recovery operation, which began last month. Inquest proceedings in the UK are looking at the deaths of Mr Lynch and his daughter, as well as Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer, 70, and his wife, Judy Bloomer, 71, who were all British nationals. Marine Accident Investigation Branch investigators said in an interim report that the Bayesian was knocked over by 'extreme wind'. The yacht had a vulnerability to winds, but the owner and crew would not have known, the report said. US lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife Neda Morvillo, and Canadian-Antiguan national Recaldo Thomas, who was working as a chef on the vessel, also died in the sinking. Fifteen people, including Mr Lynch's wife, Angela Bacares, were rescued. Mr Lynch and his daughter were said to have lived in the vicinity of London and the Bloomers lived in Sevenoaks in Kent. The tycoon founded software giant Autonomy in 1996 and was cleared in June last year of carrying out a massive fraud over the sale of the firm to Hewlett-Packard (HP) in 2011. The boat trip was a celebration of his acquittal in the case in the US.