TUI accused of ‘modern slavery in Cape Verde
Eight out of 16 tour bus drivers employed by TUI Portugal on the island of Sal have walked out for three days in a dispute over pay and conditions.
The drivers say they are owed money for overtime and working on public holidays.
Manning picket lines, the staff carried placards with hand-written slogans saying "Enough of modern slavery" and "TUI Portugal does not respect the labor law in Cape Verde".
The staff claim they have given up trying to negotiate with the tour operator, opting to strike instead.
A spokesman for the drivers’ group said: "We come to this point because they had no good faith or interest to solve the problem."
It is not clear if the strike is affecting British holidaymakers who booked trips through TUI Portugal’s sister operator Thomson Holidays, which features three hotels in Sal.
TUI-owned Thomson and First Choice have been pushing packages to the Cape Verde islands as an alternative to holidays to Egypt and Tunisia.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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