“The weight of the law will fall on those who today are putting the lives of workers in our country at risk.” With this warning, the second vice president and Minister of Labor, Yolanda Díaz, warned on Wednesday from the Congress of Deputies that her Ministry was already acting against companies that were “failing to comply” with the obligation to protect their employees against risks due to the DANA. Specifically, the Labor Inspection has received around 80 complaints of business abuses in the Valencian Community.
It is about formal complaints and communications to Anti-Fraud Mailbox of the public body that monitors labor legality. In total, they compile “about 80 alleged irregularities in the Valencian Community”, responding to elDiario.es queries in the Ministry of Labor.
Yolanda Díaz insisted this Thursday that the Labor Inspection “is acting forcefully.” “It is very serious that companies are willing to put the lives of their workers at risk for I don’t know for what purpose,” he denounced.
“It doesn’t matter the size of the company or the strength of the company,” said the second vice president, who stressed that the Ministry of Labor “has demonstrated that legality is complied with and respected in our country.”
Fines that can touch one million euros
Companies have the obligation to protect workers from the risks they may face in the performance of their work, such as adverse weather phenomena such as DANA that is affecting several regions of the country.
After the catastrophe of October 29, with at least 216 people dead in the Valencian Community, the State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) once again issued several red warnings this week, of “extreme risk” due to rain, in parts of Andalusia, Catalonia and the Valencian Community.
Given the red alert, Yolanda Díaz has highlighted that “you can not go to work” if your health is at risk. The Ministry of Labor reminded companies that they should suspend activity or adapt it when it was not safe for their employees to travel to provide their services. And he sent a message to the staff in case of lack of preventive measures in their workplaces: “If your company does not respect rights, report it.”
Fines for non-compliance with occupational risk prevention are sanctioned with “between 2,451 euros and 49,180 euros” in the case of serious infractions, while very serious infractions can reach close to one million euros, with “between 49,181 and 983,736 euros,” they recall. in the Ministry of Labor.
Clash with the Mazón Government
This Thursday the Ministry of Labor has also charged against the Generalitat Valenciana for authorizing the displacement of supermarket workers despite the AEMET red alert having been decreed. The Government of Carlos Mazón included this activity, “food distribution”, as one of the “essential services” that could exempt the mobility restrictions decreed by the Comunitat itself.
Labor has shown its “deep rejection” of this order from the Generalitat and has highlighted that it should not be applied, since state labor law must prevail. “There is no order that can prevent respect for labor rights in our country. I want to be clear: no order from any public administration can counteract the rights that are installed in Spanish legislation in article 21 and article 14. [de la Ley de Prevención de riesgos laborales]”, said Yolanda Díaz, who has announced an “interpretive order” on this matter.
“The Ministry of Labor regrets that the Generalitat ignores the regulations for the prevention of occupational risks, assuming the risk that workers may suffer harm by failing to comply with state regulations. Likewise, it highlights that at such a delicate moment, confusion is generated among citizens because they understand that private companies must be the ones that distribute food when the emergency services and the Army are deployed in red and orange alert situations,” the department of Diaz.
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