The Barcelona Restaurant Guild and the UGT union have launched coordinated legal action against the 365 macro-bakery chain, challenging its employment practices and terrace operations, as Metrópoli Abierta - Urban Life reported. The dispute centres on the classification of 800 workers in the Barcelona province, who are currently paid under the bakery sector’s collective agreement instead of the hospitality one.
Under the updated hospitality collective agreement, employees at 365 should be classified as full waiters, which would entitle them to approximately £400 (€460) more per month, an extra annual vacation day, two personal days, eight hours of medical leave, and improved rest conditions between shifts. Óscar López, general secretary of the FSMC-UGT federation, told Metrópoli Abierta - Urban Life that the change is especially significant given the sector’s high proportion of female workers, who often bear family caregiving responsibilities.
Guild Enforces Terrace Rules
The Restaurant Guild has also filed 53 new complaints against bakeries with terraces in Barcelona, including 365, for failing to provide table service. Since 2017, city regulations have required that customers be served directly at outdoor tables, without having to collect orders at the counter. Non-compliance can lead to fines of up to £650 (€750) and eventual loss of terrace licences.
Either they serve customers at their tables and pay hospitality wages, or they lose their terraces.
The Guild warned: "Either they serve customers directly on the terrace – and are compensated under the same conditions as a bar – or they will lose their terrace." The legal actions could extend to other chains like Vivari, El Taller, Fornet, and Santaglòria if the case succeeds.
Sources: Metrópoli.
