Argentine Union Mobilization Against Undeclared Work in Hotels, Food Service

Posted to the IUF website 14-Nov-2005

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The IUF-affiliated Union of Tourism, Hotel and Food Service Workers of Argentina (UTHGRA) has launched a national mobilization against the undeclared work in the hotel and food service sectors which exists on a massive scale. According to governmental statistics some 40 percent of all workers in the sector are not legally registered and therefore have no access to health and pension benefits. According to union leader Norberto Latorre, "One of the forms of evasion used by employers is to put workers down in the payroll with four-hour workdays, when they actually work 12 and even 14 hours. Employers take advantage of the situation, speculating with tips, and paying the difference on the side." The explosion of illegal, undeclared work has kept wages low despite the strong recovery in the sector.

Extensive dialogues with the government and private employers have failed to yield progress on registering undeclared work, and the union has planned an escalating series of actions from media campaigns and local stoppages at offending establishments up to plans for a national work stoppage.

The IUF Administrative Committee, which met in Geneva November 10-11, expressed full support for UTHGRA's campaign for an end to undeclared work and the negotiation of fair wages in the hospitality sector.

To learn more about the campaign, visit the IUF Latin America webpage and click on the icon "adhiere a la campa�a" to access the campaign page from where you can send a message of solidarity.