An employee at Clube Praia da Rocha, Portimão, resorted today to chaining herself inside the company office in a protest at not having been paid for months.
Many workers at the resort have not been paid by the managing company 'Green Stairs' whose administrator refuses to comment on the situation except for declaring that things are in hand, that was on March 3rd and nothing has happended since.
Tiago Jacinto from the Algarve Hotel Workers Union said that the workers’ contracts ended in October 2014 but they have not been paid for August, September or October - they also are due holiday pay, Christmas bonus and other compensation and are getting desperate so "today they decided to focus on the company to get a management response."
"I have asked three times to speak with Paulo Martins, the company's administrator, but have not yet had a response.
"Today, the workers focused on the reception area, saying that they would not come out until they had spoken to the management. The company called the police who invited us to leave but an employee, Marilu Santana, had chained herself to the stairs inside the Clube Praia da Rocha building," said Jacinto.
Faro police command said that PSP officers attended, but with a degree of sympathy it stressed that the situation involves just some good workers who only wanted paying.
Jacinto said that around 30 staff are affected, staff who have worked hard for the company that manages several holiday apartments.
Despite wage arrears, Green Stairs management has hired new employees for 2015 and today opened Clube Praia da Rocha for business following its normal winter closure.
Paulo Martins from Green Stairs' which manages Clube Praia da Rocha, confirmed on March 3rd that there were some staff with arrears, but said that "the situation being addresses.”
The workers also demonstrated this week outside the Vale do Lobo hotel where the Prime Minister was attending the tourism conference but Jacinto said that so far, the company has not shown any desire to resolve the situation.
Nothing has happened since early March, hence today’s protest and with a management refusing even to comment it may all take a while to be resolved.
Marilu Santana aims to remain chained to the club stairway until the situation is resolved.
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