Leni Breymaier talks to staff to gain an impression of the situation of employees in the hotel industry
Esslingen a.N., 16 May 2017 -tp
During her visit to the ECOINN Hotel am Campus, the SPD state chair and former head of the Verdi trade union, Leni Breymaier, talked over coffee and cake with staff from various departments of the renowned hotel on the campus of Esslingen University. Drazenka Fuckar, who started at the ECOINN in a one-euro job and worked her way up to head of housekeeping, lamented the extremely poor pension prospects of her staff, who, despite a demanding full-time job, are at great risk of slipping into poverty in old age. That is deeply unfair, said Fuckar; politicians must act here to establish fairness in wages and pensions. The minimum wage is one thing, but it is no substitute for an adequate pension.
When Breymaier asked about tips, the cleaning staff said that the trend here is also downwards, partly because many guests now carry no cash and, in the case of business travellers, the company usually pays anyway.
Breymaier praised the commitment of the ECOINN, which employs numerous people with disabilities, including nine young people from EU countries with extremely high youth unemployment. Since September they have been training to become hotel specialists. She was also impressed by the “colourful mix”, as the clear majority of the ECOINN team has a migrant background.
In conclusion, the SPD chair assured them that she would stand up for the interests of employees and work towards significant improvements in terms of both fair wages and fair pensions.
The staff representatives were taken with Breymaier and thanked her for the distinguished visit.