“Too much work, too few workers”
In the new collective agreements I want to see wage growth says Matti Euro.
Matti Euro, who works as a shop steward and restaurant manager in a staff restaurant, hopes that workers would be able to take breaks in restaurant work.
"I’ve been working in the restaurant sector for 32 years. I’ve worked as a chef, in various customer service roles, as a restaurant manager and head chef. Now, as well as being a staff representative, I work as a restaurant manager in Vantaa.
Over the years I’ve been able to observe close-up how the pace of work has intensified. Staff numbers have been cut all the time. Some products are delivered semi-prepared, and as a result there is more part-time working. It means we’re not doing everything from scratch in-house.
Reduced personnel resources are also a headache for us supervisors. Since we’re not given the staff resources, having just one person off sick can bring us grinding to a halt. Working days shouldn’t be so stressful, and there should be time for breaks.
In the new collective agreements I want to see wage growth and more done on coping at work. For example, it’s got harder for monthly-paid staff to get days off. There aren’t enough to cover midweek public holidays, but there should be."
Matti Euro
Restaurant manager
Shop steward Sodexo
Text:: Minna Räsänen