Monaco trade unions representing hospitality workers have met representatives of the French CGT union to explore common ground.
Olivier Cardot, secretary-general of Monaco’s USM, the federation of trade unions in the Principality, said that one issue discussed was the lack of a salary scale in Monaco. He said that a classification of jobs within the sector had been in place since 1981, but this did not translate into a grading of pay scales.
Another sore point concerns the split shift system, which typically requires restaurant workers to work a morning shift, until 14:00, with a return to work from 17:00 until 23:00. Unions in France and Monaco are calling for the abolition of the split shift system, which they say makes hospitality professions unattractive for future generations.
Olivier Cardot said that a joint declaration of grievances and demands would be addressed to restaurant and hotel owners in France and Monaco at some time in the weeks and months to come.
The joint union meeting promises to provide a further headache for employers in Monaco’s hospitality sector, already struggling to find enough suitable candidates to employ, partly because of the split shift problem but also because of the shortage of nearby housing and the cost of travel.
FILE PHOTO: CGT union members during a fuel strike in September 2022 Reuters
