In May of this year, the study of psychosocial risks of the Santa Cruz Local Police was released. An analysis that reflected a worsening of the situation described in the previous study, dated 2016, and that pointed to the excessive workload of the agents as the main problem that the workforce is dragging. Yesterday, the mayor of Santa Cruz, José Manuel Bermúdez, and representatives of all the Local Police unions reached an agreement to reduce these psychosocial risks by increasing breaks, without this having an unaffordable impact on the provision of the service. A document was signed that will now be ratified by the Negotiation Table.
Through the agreement, different improvements will be implemented in the working conditions of the agents of the Santa Cruz Police force, among which the approval of corrective indices regarding their working hours stands out.
As explained by the police unions, these corrective indices will allow the time that is worked more to add up, and when 24 hours are reached, it will be possible to rest for a day, which will have to be enjoyed on the night shift.
The agreement, also signed by the Councilor for Human Resources, Purificación Dávila, and in the presence of those responsible for the Personnel and Citizen Security areas, is the result of weeks of negotiation and has as its “fundamental objective”, as explained by Bermúdez, “the improvement of occupational health and safety conditions among the city’s Local Police officers that will ultimately lead to a more effective response to the demands of the citizenry”.
The document proposes improvements in the working conditions of the agents, especially in two aspects, as Purificación Dávila has pointed out: “Extend their rest times and mitigate psychosocial factors that could affect the provision of public service to citizens” . This agreement, explains Dávila, will be taken to the negotiating table, first, and then to the General Table for its ratification and entry into force.
José Manuel Bermúdez added that the agreement “is the result of mutual rapprochement of positions with the aim of benefiting the entire group of the Police.” In addition, he recalled that the signing “represents the fulfillment of a commitment we reached with the union representatives to reach an agreement before the end of the year.” It will be in March when the corrective indices begin to be applied, in addition to the rest of the agreements.
