The government is being asked to intensify inspections to combat health risks to maids and others.

The government is being asked to intensify inspections to combat health risks to maids and others. | Laura L. Marin

Majorca Daily Bulletin reporterPalma25/05/2016 00:00
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With salaries and working conditions being burning topics for the Balearic government, the parliament has approved a motion that will seek to improve the working conditions of hotel maids. Laura Camargo of Podemos described them as the "real stars of the hotels" and the "hidden face" of all tourism records currently being registered.

Camargo spoke specifically about the exploitation of maids who can be expected to clean up to one hundred rooms each day. She called for there to be monitoring of the ergonomics of maids' work (such as with bending for changing beds) and for a maximum number of rooms per day to be established in order not to create a health risk. She also called on the government to increase inspections to ensure that maids are working in a way that is not harmful.

The Podemos spokesperson added that maids were indispensable to tourism and so to tourists. She thanked them for their work and their dignity.

Other parties raised the possibility of extending the motion to include other workers. The El Pi party, while concurring with the concerns regarding working conditions, took issue with what it considered to be an attempt by Podemos to "criminalise" the hotel sector by implying that exploitation is occurring in all hotels.