The workers of the tenerife tram They approved yesterday in the assembly to suspend the strike that they have maintained since last February 17 as a sign of their willingness to reach an agreement. They rate “the mood” as a key factor of the new negotiators proposed by the Cabildo de Tenerife since last March 24. They are headed by the insular director of Human Resources, Lidia Pereira.
The Metropolitano de Tenerife staff meeting took place at the Talleres y Cocheras headquarters, in El Cardonal. Luis Marrero, president of the Works Council, explained that “it is not a revocation but a postponement until the next negotiating meeting, scheduled for the 10th, after Easter.” The insular president, Pedro Martín, expressed his great satisfaction “at the good news.”
The interest of the workers was demonstrated by the high participation of the workforce. Of the total of 204, 143 voted. And of them 97, 67.83%, opted for the postponement compared to the 46 who decided to continue the mobilizations. Until now, these consisted of strikes between seven and nine in the morning, Monday through Friday, as well as protests at the gates of the Insular Palace every Monday and Thursday.
“Good news”
The Cabildo already warned after the initial appointment of this new stage – the previous one had been led by the Mobility Minister and president of the company, Enrique Arriaga – that there were “substantial advances” in the negotiation. Now, President Martín assesses: «I think that this agreement is good news and I hope that the final one will arrive soon. I appreciate the talent of the union negotiators and the work of the Cabildo staff. He hopes “that it will benefit the workers and a better service to the citizens of Tenerife who habitually use the tram as a means of transport».
The union representatives transferred to those of the Cabildo in the first meeting their “discomfort” by the disciplinary proceedings opened to workers in the course of the conflict and proposed their suspension, an approach that the island corporation accepted in order to favor the negotiation. That meeting focused on aspects that concern workers over all those related to health. A methodology for “deepening the dialogue” was established.
Given the relevance of the health and safety issues addressed, the agreement was to create, within the framework of the negotiation, a safety commission in which representatives of the workers participate, the Metropolitano safety officer, as well as technical personnel from the Occupational Risk Prevention Service.
Protagonists of the negotiation
It is worth noting in this new stage the figure of the negotiators. On the one hand, the veteran trade unionist Juan Miguel Suárez (Comisiones Obreras), advisor to the Company Committee and present yesterday. Suárez maintains a good harmony with who heads the other part, Lidia Pereira. She, also director of the Legal Department, is accompanied by Olga Morales, an expert in Law, and Jorge Ribes, a specialist in Occupational Risk Prevention. Morales was already instrumental in resolving the previous conflict in Metropolitano. It happened in 2018 with a strike that lasted 102 days.
