Each winter, when the bustling tourist crowds make way for quieter streets, Hotel Employees in Crete find themselves cast into a waiting game. The support provided by current unemployment programs stretches only three months, a brief reprieve compared to the long off-season. This tight window of financial help turns into a harsh stretch from January until the next tourist surge, leaving families to patch together rent, groceries, and basic needs with little to fall back on.
Bare facts paint a clear picture: families reliant on these jobs spend
- Up to seven months without any unemployment support
- A large portion of the winter is spent working odd jobs or relying on savings
- Much of their household income goes to essential spending:
- 65% on rent and utilities
- 25% on food and daily needs
- 10% on children’s education or unforeseen costs
Hotel employees’ unions call this situation an injustice—a burden for those whose sweat fuels Greece’s tourism sector through hot, tireless summers. Labor leaders explain how this system drives workers to desperation, forcing many to consider moving abroad where work is steadier. Meanwhile, empty hotel positions in Crete go unfilled when summer returns, leaving business owners scrambling.
The Push for Change
This situation discourages young people from joining or remaining in the industry, leading thousands of workers to flee abroad. It creates severe staffing problems for hotels. As Primary Unions of Crete, we submit a documented memorandum to all relevant bodies, with a basic demand: The extension of the duration of the unemployment fund to 5-6 months. The fair revision of the criteria for granting it, based on the total working time. Meeting with the leadership of the Ministry of Labour with the participation of the Trade Unions, Poets, Labour Centres, the Tourism Bodies, and the Region of Crete. We can no longer tolerate the “we will see” of the Ministry. Tourism cannot be based on the poverty of the workers. Either we live off tourism or we abandon it. Tourism cannot be based on workers who are left without support for half a year. We need genuine political will to address this injustice. We call on all stakeholders to support this just demand, which is a question of survival for thousands of workers and a question of sustainability for tourism itself.”
