Who you give money to when you eat at Restaurante Tosca? A month experience working illegally in Jávea

It is usual to remember name of a restaurant where you eat when that experience is enjoyable, yummy and the staff who attends you is endearing.

As offer of places where to go eating out grows customers become more demanding, and consistently owners of restaurant.

Customers pay for the quality of the food and the service but they hardly ever know staff´s working conditions –They not even need to know it!, you will probably think.

After a month-experience working illegally at Tosca as dishwasher-kitchen hand I encourage you to read my story.

Restaurante Tosca, located in front of Javea´s Paradores Hotel, is run by Ferrán and Marta, who promised me to work part time legally a bit soon Easter week came. As I worked Ferrán provided me excuses about my contract (I am still awating answer from my adviser´s office, Ferrán would say several times, when I asked him).

After a week working 4 hours a day they offered me to work three hours in the morning and two hours in the evening.  Part time working conditions became working time cut into pieces but I just accepted.  

It was supposed I would be paid a salary for working part time plus tips. And consequently I received 50 euros from tips for first fortnight I worked at Tosca. But I was upset when I asked Ferrán for second fortnight´s tips. To my surprise he told me I did not deserve them because they were paid on Sunday and certainly I had not worked on Sunday. So I had wasted my chance to get them. In all I was paid 3,3 euros per hour I worked at Tosca plus 50 euros from tips of first fortnight.

I left Tosca angry, helpless and disenchanted - a victim of labor abuse- because of how its owners, Ferrán and Marta, mistreated me.

After four year-experience  in Hospitality Management I must say this is the most injustice happening I remember. And I strongly believe Tosca´s customers have right and must to know true because whenever they eat at Restaurante Tosca they are supporting, consciously or not, the continuity of a labor abuse policy. I just want to leave you guys thinking about it.

Before going eating out we all should think about working conditions of staff that work to make unforgettable us a dining experience. We should think about what we want to support because our actions define the kind of persons we are.