BRITS heading for Tenerife this Easter are expected to face fresh holiday hell as hotel and restaurant workers are set to strike against tourists.

Workers in the hospitality industry decided to go ahead with strike action on Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Monday, after last-ditch talks to prevent the protests failed.

Representatives of the Tenerife workers’ union – who demanded a rise in pay – say the offer from employers was not acceptable.

The tourism employers’ association, formed by Ashotel and AERO, had offered a four per cent increase in pay for workers, hoping it would prevent them from protesting during the Easter holidays.

But unions want 6.25 per cent.

They say their decision was unanimous and will not change plans to strike against tourists.

With over 170,000 tourism workers in the Canary Islands set to protest, business owners about to welcome thousands of tourists are despairing.

They are expected to demonstrate in all the tourist hotspots, including Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Lanzarote.

The strike is set to have a major impact on the running of hotels and on Brits’ Easter breaks.

By law, strikers have to provide a “minimum service” but the unions say hotel cleaning, food and entertainment don’t fall into this category.

They say they must try and preserve the health of hotel workers and provide them with the very best of working conditions.

The union said: “There will always be a need for security guards or staff at receptions, but do local entertainment teams have to provide minimum services?”

Ashotel says it will continue negotiations “until the last minute”.

Its president, Jorge Marichal, has called for “responsibility” to avert the disruptions this Thursday and Friday.

Thousands of tourists are expected to be hit by the strike action, and there are calls for bus and taxi drivers to join in, which would increase the disruption.

“The strike could have a significant impact on the tourism-dependent region during one of the busiest periods of the year,” warns local media Canarian Weekly.

“However, union representatives maintain that their objective is not to disrupt the holiday season but to ensure that hospitality workers finally receive fair and just recognition for their contribution to the Canary Islands’ economic success.”

Head of the CCOO, Borja Suarez said: “This is about taking care of the health of our colleagues, improving work-life balance and improving everyone’s lives.”

But employers’ associations have raised concerns that the strike action could lead to security issues in hotels.

Business owners say they are worried about how the strike may impact the Canary Islands’ reputation.

“If the strike ends up being organised and peaceful and does not cause any disruption, there will not be an excessively negative impact on the destination’s image,” said a spokesperson.

“However, if order is disrupted and more noise is made, the feeling of unrest may become greater.”

Many hotels are notifying guests in advance to explain the situation and ask for their understanding.

It is hoped they will not cancel their plans.

“It’s clear that it’s going to be a rather unpleasant conflict, but it will only be for two days,” said the spokesperson.