2024-03-28 12:19:42
With the arrival of the first cruise ships, businesses also opened in the Medieval Town of Rhodes. According to the report of ‘d’, not all of them have opened full time since the shops of health interest, restaurants, etc. they do not have such an opportunity, but the businessmen in the commercial and tourist shops are already in their positions.
As the vice-president of the Association of Business Professionals of the Medieval City of Rhodes (SEEP) stated to the journalists yesterday, Mrs. Maria Angelou: “M. City has now started operating, for ten days. Almost all businesses open daily in an effort to be ready in time to welcome the large volume of tourists when they start arriving.
Already in March, the approaches of cruise ships as well as guests staying at the hotels that are open began slowly.
The movement of our visitors is visible. On the other hand, the commercial traffic is still not great, but it is a pleasant sample for the new season. We estimate that by the end of March we will have opened normally – with the arrival of charter flights, etc.”
Recently, a delegation of the Association of Business Professionals of the Medieval City of Rhodes (SEEP) had a meeting with both the vice-mayor, Mr. Vaios Kalopitas and the mayor, Mr. Alexandros Koliadis, to whom they put their requests, with the main issues on the agenda, everyday life, parking spaces, cleanliness, even the management of begging, but also work issues.
“We raised all the issues in a long meeting mainly with the mayor of Rhodes, Mr. Koliadis. In terms of everyday issues, the main ones that concern us most are the parking spaces (a constant request for us) with the use of more buses to and from the port of Akadia and some other parts of the city, the cleanliness and the common areas.
It is one of the very basic issues that pertain to the responsibilities of the Municipality of Rhodes. We had relevant commitments, but we are waiting to see the results” – he said.
It is noted that this year, it is the first summer after the end of the pandemic crisis of the corona virus, that the measures for the common areas return.
The businessmen of M. Polis, through the SEEP, officially request the creation of a Fire Station within the monument for emergencies, while the establishment of an EL.AS station has also been requested repeatedly.
Regarding staff shortages, it is an issue faced by the businesses of M. Polis – as well as all seasonal businesses related to tourism.
The problem has already been noticed since previous years and is not only due to the fact that some have changed professions or no longer wish to be employed in the businesses of M. Polis, but is reinforced by the new work regulations:
“The attempt to now use a work card and to limit the working hours of the staff, has the result of creating problems in filling positions in terms of businesses, but also for the employees who, by greatly limiting the working hours, will be faced with the payment of unemployment benefits during the winter months.
Seasonal businesses must be considered and treated in a completely different way in the labor part – compared to those that operate on a 12-month basis. And this does not only concern entrepreneurs, but also workers. When someone only works six months of the year, it is understood that he will have to fill in stamps to get the unemployment benefit – which is not enough for the whole winter, as is well known. We will also address the relevant ministries for this matter” – said the SEEP vice-president.