No 960 Monday 27th February - Sunday 5th March 2023
637 227 385
office@theleader.info
Keeping people safe and informed for over 19 years - The Costa Blanca’s oldest ‘FREE’ English language newspaper
T O R R E V I E J A H O S P I TA L S TA F F CALL FOR FIRST EVER STRIKE
espite the stresses and strains of working at Torrevieja Hospital, especially since it’s return to public management over a year ago, the straw has finally broken the camel’s back, and workers at the facility have voted by a huge majority to go on strike during the Easter Holidays.
D
The latest development which has prompted the action was when the Regional Ministry of Health decided to question, and then make public their intention to change, a collective agreement made with Ribera Salud. And so, on Thursday evening, a meeting was called by the unions representing the staff where a vote was taken, the result being calls for a strike with the support of 96% of all voters and 50.16% of the total census. The meeting also followed a mass protest at the doors of the hospital on Thursday morning, where the staff showed their disgust at this latest abuse of their trust, whilst trying to maintain a disastrous service, and, in particular, insisting that the Ministry withdraw the complaint against the collective agreement. The end result of the protests, meetings, and vote, is that a demonstration has now been called for next Saturday, March 4, to demand that the Consell rectify their position and honour the agreement with the workers. The collective Works Council representing the staff said that "the Ministry leaves our future work in the hands of what a judge decides on September 18, nothing matters about the uncertainty that this creates in the 911 professionals working in the Health Authority. If the judge agrees with them, we do not know what working conditions we will have in September, but surely the Ministry cannot pretend they will be better than the current ones", said spokesperson, Ana Linares.
CONTINUED ON PAGE TWO