Deregulation and institutional conversion in the Greek hotel industry: an employment relations model in transition

Abstract

Before the debt crisis of 2010 forced Greece into almost permanent austerity, its hotel workers enjoyed wages and conditions (through a sector collective agreement) similar to those in other economic sectors. This was against the international trend where low wages and poor conditions were standard. Sweeping deregulation by Greek governments has brought much of the hotel industry into line with other countries. The sector agreement, now covering a much smaller proportion of the workforce, survived but has experienced ‘institutional conversion’, delivering a much poorer outcome. Despite buoyant tourism, institutional deregulation and derogation have delivered the employers' major objective of matching the workforce to the fluctuating demand for labour.

Violation and lack of awareness of employment rights in the United Kingdom's hotel industry: Isolation, fragmentation and barriers to labour enforcement

“…The latter exacerbates the individualisation of the employment relationship and makes it hard for the model of individual complaints and grievances to help workers defend and exercise their rights. As previous research has indicated (see Papadopoulos & Lyddon, 2020), a strong workplace union presence can enable hospitality unions to put pressure on employers to decelerate their offensive on employment rights and on the State to strengthen the enforcement mechanisms. A stronger union presence in the UK hospitality industry could support workers to break their 'silence' by reducing the high levels of isolation/fear and growing their confidence to seek information, recognise and defend their labour rights.…”

Anything goes? Exploring the limits of employment law in UK hospitality and catering

“…Certain features of the hospitality sector combine to offer a partial explanation of why union membership levels are especially low there, including the prevalence of young workers, seasonal fluctuations in demand, the transient nature of employment and the smallness of the vast majority of employers. That said, comparison with other countries, where union membership and collective bargaining coverage in hospitality are much higher, suggests that there is nothing inevitable about this (Ioannou, 2015;Papadopoulos & Lyddon, 2020). 1 While recruiting young, precariously employed workers is a difficult task, there is increasing willingness on the part of trade unions to devote resources to this, engaging in innovative organising efforts to address young workers' interests (Simms et al, 2018).…”

Training in the age of liberalization and crisis: Understanding the learning experiences of young Active Labour Market Programme Participants

“…The tourism and hospitality industry has been linked with poor working conditions, high turnover and menial work, so the scope and incentives for learning initiatives in this sector are less developed, although policy makers and employers insist that the right occupational skills and qualifications can help them secure decent employment in the sector (Papadopoulos & Lyddon, 2020).…”