Inspecció de Treball (Work Inspectorate) has opened a report against the company Schweppes and the Tote Vignau events staff agency for sex-based discrimination against a group of women hired during the Barcelona Open Godó Trophy tennis tournament, which could lead to fines of between 10,000 and 187,000 euros (£9,000-165,000, $12,000-223,000).
The body, dependent on the Catalan government, which safeguards labour rights, has decided to fine the two companies after listening to the different parties following a complaint presented by the union UGT last May.
The union reported sexist work conditions to the Inspectorate and the lack of protection for the health of the eight women hired by Schweppes as hostesses for the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell-Comte de Godó Trophy.
During the tournament, the hostesses had to work outdoors dressed in short skirts and short-sleeved tops despite the rain and low temperatures. The women reported that they had to work in such conditions even when they had had a fever the night before and were ill.
According to a statement from UGT, the Work Inspectorate has decided to impose a fine on the two companies for very serious infractions. This opens the door to applying fines of between 10,000 and 187,000 euros.
The Inspectorate also requires the organisers, Barcelona's Reial Club de Tennis, to "guarantee the coordination of their business activities in terms of preventing labour risks at the Comte de Godó Tournament".
UGT de Catalunya's secretary of Equality and Professional Training, Eva Gajardo, has praised the Inspectorate's decision. She also expressed her regret that "we're very used to seeing scenes of women who are put in the situation of showing flesh".
"The Work Inspectorate has been able to establish what everyone saw and we reported: the use made of the bodies of the eight women as an advertising tactic in the Barcelona Comte de Godó Tournament," she emphasised.