The trade union centrals of the Region of Murcia urged the regional government and employers on Thursday to redouble their efforts against the “permanent” and “persistent” workplace accidents, with the creation of the figure of territorial delegate for occupational risk prevention. This was announced by the union leaders in a press conference where they presented the acts that they will carry out for the celebration of Labor Day, on May 1. On the occasion of the International Day of Occupational Safety, the UGT, CC OO and USO unions will summon their delegates on Friday, at 11:30 am, to protest in front of the CROEM business organization. Half an hour later, they will light candles in memory of the 51 deaths due to a work accident in 2022.
“We are concerned that the dramatic data has ended up normalizing,” said the general secretary of the regional UGT, Antonio Jiménez, accompanied by the heads of CC OO and USO, Santiago Navarro and José Sáez, respectively. “It is considered in some sectors as something inevitable,” denounced Jiménez, while pointing out that in Spain many workers die due to lack of attention, care and prevention.
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“These are scandalous figures, which is why we demand that both companies and the government focus attention on occupational risk prevention,” insisted Jiménez, who advocated a “shock plan” against workplace accidents. To do this, he believes that public resources must be improved, strengthen the Region’s Occupational Safety and Health Institute, and support companies. “We denounce that the prevention of companies has become a mere formality, by outsourcing prevention,” continued the trade unionist, who appreciates that the Labor Inspectorate has only 29 inspectors for more than 600,000 workers in the Community: ” Risk situations occur that go unpunished; the mutuals classify serious accidents as minor to avoid the action of the Inspection ». Jiménez regretted that the prosecutor’s office that defends job security is scarce and vindicated the figure of territorial prevention delegate, as an instrument to help companies fight against this scourge. «Job precariousness is at the bottom of the accident rate; temporality, rotation, the fear of being fired or endless days push the possibility of an accident at work », he warned.
For his part, the general secretary of CC OO, Santiago Navarro, assured that the regional Executive is making “a divestment in prevention,” which is helping companies to put this problem aside. “I have never heard the government show its concern about the death of workers,” said Navarro, who urged “express campaigns where there are hundreds or thousands of vans that travel two or three hours daily to work in remote areas, with a driver who transports them, they work 8, 9 or 10 hours and then come back”. He also denounced the short staff of the Labor Inspection and affirmed that he has already informed the Government that “the Region continues to be the Community where accidents at work have been increasing since 2013, except in 2018.
On Saturday, the march for labor rights will begin from Totana to Alhama de Murcia, which will continue on Sunday from Librilla to Alcantarilla and, on Monday, from the latter town to the Plaza de la Fuensanta in Murcia, the meeting point where they will gather for Labor Day to continue with the claim through the streets of the capital, until reaching the garden of the Malecón.
During the demonstration, they will demand the revision of the collective agreements, of which they detail that 60% are still not renewed, such as that of private hospitals, that of agriculture, forestry and livestock, and that of road transport of goods. In addition, Navarro revealed that the hospitality document has not yet been drawn up so that it can be published and enter into force as soon as possible. According to the union member of Comisiones Obreras, there has been a salary increase of 2.7% in the Region in accordance with the agreements signed, but the figure decreases to 1.5% if they are added to those that have not been updated. “We have detected companies that continue to pay between 800 and 900 euros to workers, below the minimum wage,” Navarro warned.
“We are going to become a region with 50% of salaries at the minimum wage,” said Pepe Sáez, USO general secretary. “In the concentration we are going to ask for wages to live, not to survive,” stressed the unionist, before inviting all those involved to attend the demonstration to march for their labor rights.
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