The hospitality sector faces a reality marked by job insecurity, where many workers experience unfavorable conditions, such as considerably low salaries and exhausting working hours. In this context, the social media account Soy Camarero highlights complicated situations in which workers in the sector face and report abuses of working conditions, among others.
A waiter used this profile to explain that he decided to change jobs after working for six years in a well-known franchise. He claimed that there “he had everything”, and that “because he was very ambitious” he went to “a super posh restaurant” where he has been working for three months. The situation there is pleasant to say the least, as detailed by the waiter in his message, and as illustrated in a subsequent screenshot of a WhatsApp conversation.
The affected person confessed in the message that, during the time he has been in this restaurant, he works “9 hours every day no matter what” and that he is not paid for overtime. “My schedules change from one day to the next,” he added. Furthermore, he denounced the problems that the staff has with food, since “either there isn’t any, or when there is, the boss takes it.”
The affected person accompanied the story with a screenshot of a WhatsApp conversation in which the boss detailed the weekend schedules in which there was no night service, which raised doubts among the staff. When asked about the issue, the boss responded with “you have already asked enough questions in this time. Let’s stop the topic for a bit, okay?”
The publication accumulates more than a hundred republications in just over twelve hours. Internet users have shown their support for the affected person and have pointed out that “then they complain that there are no waiters.” “The era of slavery seems to be returning,” another user denounced.
“These threads of yours should not be read by anyone from the labor inspection. That irregular realities are more common than regulated ones. That there is shameless exploitation throughout the State. That people do not report more because on top of that the exploiters are notified. … Enough already!” added a user, appealing directly to the owner of the account.
“I’ve had five interviews this week and every time I go to one it’s worse. They offer me 1,200 euros to work 10 hours every day with one day off, and they tell me it as if I should be grateful.” The affected person expressed. “Sometimes I regret leaving my old job because I wanted something more,” he lamented.
