«Errors and shortcomings, yes, but neither humiliating treatment nor children who bathe with cold water or lack of food. If we have any suspicion in this regard, we would go directly to the Prosecutor’s Office.” The reflection is from the insular counselor of Social Action, Marián Franquet, and is addressed to the relatives of the patients of the social health centers of the Cabildo “for their peace of mind.” She starred in the extraordinary and urgent plenary session, at her own request to respond to the accusations of the Works Council of the Institute of Social and Socio-Sanitary Care of Tenerife (IASS). Its president, José Luis Gutiérrez, and Canarian Coalition for the “irresponsible” press conference that he offered “immediately” after public complaints were the center of his criticism. Gutiérrez has already denounced the insular president, Pedro Martín, and Franquet herself for the transfer of the users of the Febles Campos Hospital, a case that the judge filed. This case reappeared several times in the course of the debate.
Franquet defended the management of the 1,900 workers and the care they provide to more than 15,000 people on the Island. He stressed that, although there are issues to improve that are faced “by sweating the shirt every day”, the users of the social health centers dependent on the Cabildo “receive dignified treatment appropriate to their needs”
The counselor stressed that “Any employee of the IASS would immediately report an alleged situation of abuse to the prosecutor’s office”. She was annoyed with the fact that the Company Committee – in a document signed by all the union forces – threatened with a criminal complaint “if the List of Jobs (RPT) of the staff is not resolved within a month labor”.
Franquet describes it as “a complex process”, but it is ongoing. In this regard, he announced that on November 8 the stabilization of 169 workers of the labor force will be taken to the Governing Council to be approved in the plenary session next month.
Franquet defined as “totally irresponsible attitude” that shown by the Canary Coalition “by accepting the statements without having contrasted the information contained in the letter and generating an unjustified social alarm.”
«The IASS is not perfect, but it is not tortured but it is given dignified and adequate care»
The Minister of Social Action acknowledged that there are issues in the management of the IASS that are “Improveable, like those of any public administration”, although he added that most of the anomalies mentioned respond to “specific problems, to which solutions are given as they arise”.
“The IASS is not perfect, but users are not only not being mistreated, but they are being cared for and treated with dignity and appropriate to their needs and requirements. There are no torturers,” added Franquet. The Minister recalled the nine direct management centers and all the entities with which the Institute collaborates through the Social Policy Ring. More than 16,000 people.
Regarding the shortcomings reported, Franquet assured that “many of the problems to cover staff casualties and permits have their origin in the hiring changes established by the labor reform and the general lack of professionals in the social and health field.”
Likewise, the counselor explained that the professionals who are on the IASS reserve lists can decide which center they go to, which slows down the process to fill vacancies in some that are less attractive than others. Despite this, she added that “every month numerous employment contracts are made to respond to organizational needs.” She highlighted that “since 2019 the budget for personnel expenses has been increased by 10 million euros.”
“Since 2019, personnel costs have increased by ten million euros”
Marián Franquet also recalled the recent approval of 28 new positions for officials with which, for the first time in 20 years, the administrative structure of the IASS is reinforced, whose staff increases from 70 to 98 people. A “key” change to go from one administrative unit to five, since in two decades it has had the same team despite tripling its budget and significantly increasing the number of people served.
Canarian Coalition, with the outstanding participation of Juana María Reyes, former head of the IASS, raised “the low budget execution in the area.” She also requested “immediate and urgent action in the centers to provide them with human and material resources, as well as offer decent treatment to users.” The nationalists consider the situation “serious”. The spokesman, Carlos Alonso, absent yesterday as he was traveling, points out that “we learned about it as a result of the union complaint.” «The counselor has recognized poor management in the IASS and that there is a lack of material and human resources. What she has to do is fix it and not pass the buck and blame others,” he concluded.
Screams, tension and eviction in the plenary hall
The IASS workers, who are also members of the Works Council, knew how to wait patiently for their opportunity throughout the day. From the morning they took their seats in the Plenary Hall and endured many hours, as many as their translation in 35 points and two recesses. This time his strategy was not, as on previous occasions, to make noise at the doors, but rather direct intervention. Before Marián Franquet spoke, the shouting began, the slogans and again a lot of noise. There were no longer four in the afternoon as at the beginning but a dozen. President Pedro Martín fought the bull as best he could and guaranteed that they would speak after the plenary session. The activists against the work of Cuna del Alma had already set a precedent. Martín calmly tried to make it the same this time, but it was not possible. The tension returned after a while when Franquet finished his first speech. Some accused Martin of being the culprit and he took it well. The security guards intervened and the workers voluntarily vacated the plenary room. There was then unanimity in “regretting” what happened and in reflecting that, even if they were right, with the forms they lost it. María José Belda took the opportunity to demand changes in the Regulations to allow citizen participation because “this is the only institution on the Island where it is not possible. The president, with his moderate but firm tone, kept the course of a very complicated session. The tension went from more to less until it led to the need for dialogue with the workers without tension.
