France fines British firm over Alps 'ski guides'
Published: 21 Feb 2013 18:59 GMT+01:00 | Print version
Updated: 21 Feb 2013 18:59 GMT+01:00
A court in the French Alps has fined a British tour operator more than 26,000 euros for employing unlicensed British ski resort guides and paying them below the minimum wage.
The court in Albertville also ordered the director of Yorkshire-based Le Ski, Nick Morgan, to pay 9,000 euros in damages to France's SNMSF ski instructors union and its training facility.
In its ruling on Monday, the court rejected the company's contention that the guides were providing only tours of ski areas and not acting as formal instructors, who can only work under French licenses.
It was ordered to pay 15,000 euros for failing to follow licensing regulations and to pay 11,250 euros for paying below the French minimum wage and failing to pay government social charges.
So-called "ski hosts" - British guides who show guests around slopes and local facilities - are a popular service among the thousands of Britons who ski in France every year.
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