Final report of the pilot project "Rights for guides"

In 2010 ETLC carried out a survey on the working conditions of tour guides and their supervisors, tour managers and entertainers. 

The results of the survey were presented at the ETLC Conference on 27-28 October 2010 in Palma de Mallorca.

The project was designed as a pilot study to gain a first insight into the working conditions of the target groups. This approach does not meet the requirements of well-founded statistics, which it was not intended to do.

 

The pilot study should identify problem areas in the employment of the target groups, in order to take the problems into the public debate and to address them in the regional trade union activity. 

• The study was carried out from 8 April to 30 September 2010.

• A total of 216 questionnaires were filled in completely.

• The study was carried out using a questionnaire with 37 questions in English, German, French, Spanish, Italian and Swedish.

• The questionnaire was disseminated via the European Works Councils and works councils of the transnational tourism companies and via the national trade unions.

• The questionnaire could be filled in on paper and online.

• The participants in the survey were guaranteed anonymity.

   

With around 226 million guests in 2007 Spain is by far the biggest tourist destination in the European Union.

Next are Italy with around 163 million visitors and France with 110 million visitors.

In Spain, package tourism is most prevailing, as Spain is the main destination of the major European tour operator; therefore the biggest number of tour guides is employed here. Accordingly, the focus of the participation in the pilot study was in Spain.

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The pilot study gives us a first insight into the working conditions of the target groups. Work contract, working time, income, social protection and representation of interests were identified as problem areas. Areas such as social security need a more in-depth investigation due to different national social security systems. Due to the lack of collective representation conflicts are solved individually - usually to the disadvantage of the employees; the setting up of collective representation has begun, but needs to be developed further. The mobile character of work, particularly of the tour guides, requires the cooperation of trade unions from the countries of origin and of employment, i.e. Northern, Central and Western Europe on the one hand and the Mediterranean on the other hand. Online trade union information and advice offers can enhance trade union organisation, as they reach all target groups.

 

Our demands:

• compliance with national and European labour legislation

• weekly working time (hours) must be stipulated in the work contract

• no work contracts with commitment to unpaid overtime (“is covered by the salary”)

• compensation of overtime in the high season by paid leave in low season (annual working time)

• unlimited work contracts instead of chain contracts

• employment at the headquarters of the tour operator – no work contracts with companies located outside of the EU

• life-sustaining basic income

• comprehensive social security coverage

• information of tour guides by the employer about their rights under labour law and collective agreements (e.g. in Spain)

• works councils in tour guide organisations in the destinations

Dear Readers,

Now you can tell us how you judge the results of our pilot project "Rights for Guides", whether you support the claims and whether you're also prepared to actively advocate them.

Maybe you can provide us with some more information, which reaffirm our conclusions and our demands.

You can also ask questions to us, which we are happy to answer, as far as we can.

And you can send us your email address, to be included in a mailing list for a newsletter for tour guides. Then you would get all the latest information from us.

Of course you can also support us directly by joining a trade union. We are happy to pass on your expression of interest to the appropriate trade union.

In any case, your responses will be handled confidentially.

Klick here to send us your answer

Kerstin Howald
ETLC Coordinator