Is The 4 Valleys Lift Pass No More?
Started by J2SkiNews in Ski News 12-Jul-2014 - 30 Replies
Msej449
reply to 'Is The 4 Valleys Lift Pass No More?' posted Jul-2014
Msej449
reply to 'Is The 4 Valleys Lift Pass No More?' posted Jul-2014
Edited 1 time. Last update at 28-Jul-2014
J2SkiNews
reply to 'Is The 4 Valleys Lift Pass No More?' posted Jul-2014
Verbier_ski_bum
reply to 'Is The 4 Valleys Lift Pass No More?' posted Jul-2014
Verbier_ski_bum
reply to 'Is The 4 Valleys Lift Pass No More?' posted Jul-2014
J2SkiNews wrote: They further pointed out that those operators were typically charging double now for the week in Switzerland to a 'comparable week' in another ski nation. And they finally said they did not think it was right that they should pay their staff operating in one country double/triple what they pay them in another country, to do the same job.
Different countries have different living standards, prices etc. Since they bring their staff to a country they have to pay them according to this particular country rules. I am sure that most people in Switzerland are getting paid more then people in UK, France, USA or wherever for doing the same job, but they actually live in Switzerland while working ... I am not even sure that using the word "comparable" is correct here. I travel to many places for work while doing the same job, my expenses allowance is not the same though, but depends on a country I go to. The same as a tourist. The fact is that a "comparable" week in one country will often cost more than a week in some other country, because they are two different countries. These TO's just like easy profits, maybe because they know that their services will become redundant due to technology. Nothing is easier than arranging your own holiday. Tons of flights, tons of accommodation for any budget these days, and with Internet everything is at fingertips. It's interesting how people are willing to pay the middlemen for basically nothing while totally ignoring the fact that these middlemen don't pay their staff a fair wage.
Edited 1 time. Last update at 29-Jul-2014
SwingBeep
reply to 'Is The 4 Valleys Lift Pass No More?' posted Jul-2014
In February Télé-Nendaz sold its 10% stake in Télé-Verbier, so it looks like Jean-Marie Fournier is now going to concentrate on the Printze area.
Last week it was also announced that Jacques Melly, the State Councillor in charge of the Department for Transport, Construction and the Environment, is going to be the mediator they are hoping to start the process at the beginning of August. The press reports also stated that they were only able to come to an agreement on how to divide the money up in 2006 after mediation.
Verbier_ski_bum, the Farinet changed hands at the end of 2013, it's now owned by an English hotelier / property developer from Brighton. I don't think he will have too much trouble getting permission to convert it into apartments, according to Lex Weber hotels that are more than 25 years old and no longer financially viable can be converted into second homes.
J2SkiNews, it's difficult to see who they could negotiate with, these collective labour agreements are made between the unions and the employers' associations and then made legally binding at their request by either local or central government. There are 3 unions and 3 employers associations involved in this one, I can't see any reason why any of these organisations would agree to amend the current agreement, it's clearly not in their interest to do so. They will of course be getting a sympathetic ear from the Swiss tourist office and Canton Valais but, that's about all they are likely to get, still no harm in trying.
I presume they are keeping the Hotel de Verbier although I can't think why, most 3 star hotels of this age and size in resorts that only have a winter season don't make any money. Maybe they can't get out of the contract in or maybe they have a stake it.
I think the real problem is that Hotelplan made a very bad decision when they decided to take over Enigma travel (Esprit & Ski Total) in 2010. I don't understand why they couldn't see that the loopholes in local employment laws and the European directive on posted workers that allowed them to employ their resort staff on UK contracts would be closed off sooner rather than later. Mind you if they employ people who can't see why they have to pay staff working in countries with different living costs differing rates of pay anything's possible. I very much doubt that the employees of Hotelplan Suisse AG, Hotelplan Italia S.p.A., and Hotelplan UK Group Ltd all get the same rate of pay for doing the same job.
Verbier_ski_bum
reply to 'Is The 4 Valleys Lift Pass No More?' posted Jul-2014
Verbier_ski_bum
reply to 'Is The 4 Valleys Lift Pass No More?' posted Sep-2014
Edited 1 time. Last update at 08-Sep-2014
Topic last updated on 15-December-2014 at 20:57