SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 20 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The spokesman for the Government of the Canary Islands and Security Minister, Julio Pérez, has been “disappointed” and “disgusted” this Thursday with the criticism of the former manager of the public company Management of Health and Safety Services in the Canary Islands (GSC) as they have been “inadequate and incorrect”, while denying that there is an “operational crisis”.
In a press conference to account for the agreements of the Governing Council, he indicated that he was “surprised” by the “tone” used by Elías Castro after his resignation to the point that he “personally” regrets it.
Pérez does not understand the “so negative opinion” that Castro has of his “political superiors” and although he has acknowledged that “there were discrepancies due to personal behavior” the Government has endorsed his management at the head of the company.
In fact, he said, “the emergency services are the best valued in the autonomous community.”
He has said that he will appear again in Parliament to explain the situation of the company and has endorsed the organizational change with the creation of an executive commission that meets every 15 days to set instructions.
In this sense, he has recognized that they were the “new bosses” of Castro and the presence of a representative of the Ministry of Finance is due to legal regulations, since in all public companies there must be a representative of this department.
On the other hand, he has admitted that the structure of the company is “unique” because it depends on two ministries, Finance and Security, –it is not the only public company in which it happens– and it should also attend to emergencies “but more than 60% of budget” goes to other services such as non-urgent medical transport or recover unpaid services to the SCS. “It is a structure that must be corrected,” he pointed out.
Regarding working conditions, he understands that they have to be “improved”, and for this, each year some 800,000 euros are reserved in the regional budget to cover the arrears of 5% of wages that ultimately cannot be paid because the Ministry of the Treasury understands that does not comply with certain legal precepts.
Pérez has indicated that the Government has “political will” and is going to study how to face the payment via budget modification or with some legal change and hopes that there is an “understanding” with the workers to avoid the strike at the end of the month.
Regarding the process of replacing Castro, he believes that “it has not been delayed that much” but he links it to the fact that almost thirty people have presented themselves and “the important thing is to find a competent person who knows how to manage the service.”
