Wendy Williams
EXCLUSIVE By Wendy Williams in Malaga
WORKERS at Andalucia’s most exclusive development are threatening to strike over Easter.
Staff at La Zagaleta – where homes start at three million euros – are blaming the British owners and Troon golf club for the loss of jobs.
Half a dozen staff were laid off in cutbacks and are now manning a picket line outside the upmarket development between Ronda and Marbella.
Among a dozen banners in English that line the road outside, one said: ‘English board = Fired Staff’.
First developed by arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi in the 1970s, the development counts Hugh Grant and Dolph Lundgren as residents.
The staff – three gardeners, a waiter, a cook and a caddy master – were laid off due to the recession and a loss of community fees, insist the owners.
Now with the support of the CCOO trade union, as many as 50 of the 62 members of staff are expected to go on a seven day strike from April 18.
CCOO spokeswoman, Lola Villalba, explained: “The workers are being used in a war that is being waged between Troon, the promoter of the urbanization and the board who run the club.
“Both of them are fighting to seize the reins of the complex.”
Both sides are still in discussion and a hearing with the Labour Dispute Settlement Service of Andalucia has been scheduled for Friday.
Troon golf runs golf clubs around the world, including Turnberry golf course in Scotland, La Quinta in Marbella and others in Dubai and South Africa.
A spokesman from Zagaleta said: “They want their jobs back, which is why they are protesting. We are discussing it all this Friday.”
Thin end of the wedge. They’ll want Christmas Day off next.
Is that sarcasm? I believe Christmas & NY are bank holidays. Fortunately in Spain unions still have something to say. I wouldn´t be surprised if the managers fired those workers to increase their wages. Besides, Trans-National Corporations are just a blood sucking device. “The rich get richer and the poor get poorer”
Interesting….but usually there are two sides to any story.
People of all nationalities are being made redundant worldwide. Why does this article seem to suggest that the Spanish workers consider themselves to be different from any other nationality and that they were only fired because the board is English?
Could it possibly be that Spanish staff were fired…because Spanish staff have been employed by that same English board ?
If the staff have been made redundant because residents are not paying their community fees – and let’s face it…the economic crisis is having an impact worldwide and the level of impact is felt no differently by people with higher incomes then those with lower incomes…then surely as everyone has to tighten their belts the residents are allowed to reduce the staff levels ? Or, do people really expect a job for life these days ?
So the Unions are backing this strike….my understanding is that workers who strike are not paid during the time they are on strike…I know I could not afford to lose 7 days pay from my wages !
Surely their time would be better spent looking for alternative employment. Making racist slurs about their previous employers is particularly constructive.