Only one Parador to close

 THE Puerto Lumbreras Parador, in Murcia, will be the only one to close, instead of the seven throughout Spain initially proposed by the management.

Staff at ‘Paradores’ throughout Spain went on strike at the end of last year to protest the company’s redundancy plan which proposed 644 dismissals.

However, the agreement reached between management and unions following 11 hours of talks will result in 350 dismissals, some of which will be voluntary.

Dismissed staff will receive 25 days salary per year worked, with a maximum of 20 months of payments.

Twenty-seven ‘Paradores’ will close part of the year, for periods of two, three or four months, rather than the initially proposed five months. Thirteen Parador restaurants at will close and three will close for five months a year at lunch time.

Four hundred employees will see their working hours reduced by 25 per cent and some bonuses will disappear. All staff will have to write up a shift calendar a month in advance.

Throughout Spain, the Paradores employ some 4,400 people.

The national ‘Paradores’ saw the worst year in their history in 2012, with occupation levels falling to just 52 per cent this year and have debts of more than €110 million.

The ‘Paradores’ which will close temporarily are in Ferrol (La Coruña), Verin (Ourense), Albacete, Ayamonte (Huelva), Manzanares (Ciudad Real) and Teruel.