Staff in some of the Algarve’s luxury hotels are complaining of wage arrears despite high occupancy rates across the region in 2013.
Employees and the Union of Hotels in the Algarve have complained that "there are people living very desperate situations."
Several hotels continue to operate while not paying staff what they are owed, including cases of five-star hotels with high occupancy rates that have not paid workers since last October.
Many employees, in fear of losing their jobs, do not complain even though they are having great difficulties coping with their domestic bills.
The Hospitality Association of the Algarve considers it "unacceptable" that hotel chains with positive results continue to opt for the "strategy" of wage arrears.
According to the union, some hoteliers in the region are taking advantage of the crisis to exploit their employees.
Salaries and allowances in arrears, plus the worsening of the financial situation of workers due to new austerity measures, are causing many workers in the hospitality and tourism industry to despair of ever seeing their wages brought up to date.
The union is continuing talks with those hotels that it has identified as being significantly behind with staff wages, many of which have been reporting good Christmas and New Year sales.
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