Negotiations to resolve the labour conflict at Tenerife’s tram are progressing well, resembling a student making progress despite difficulties in reaching an agreement between both parties. The last two days of negotiations have been deemed “positive” according to the assessments made by each side, with mediator Mónica Molina playing a direct role. An agreement to end the strike, ongoing since February 19th, is now closer after Metrotenerife agreed to re-evaluate medically the eleven employees directly exposed to the cancer-causing silica dust used in the braking system of the trams. There will also be a push for the medical review of the cleaning and gardening contract staff from the Lerican company who face the same risk – around twenty individuals.
The Employee Committee has proposed changing the strike periods occurring in three peak hours of the morning, afternoon, and evening as a gesture of goodwill, which has caused inconvenience to users.
Next steps involve taking measures regarding the mentioned exposure through an analysis of each job position. Despite these positive developments and the mediator’s request to suspend the strike, sources state that “no agreement has been reached on other issues related to silica dust”, such as “the exposure that workers have been enduring for fifteen years.” In some cases, up to seven according to their estimates, directly affecting their health. They are seeking recognition of occupational disease, which the Insurance Company denies.
“The strike committee positively values the mediator’s work,” they point out, considering reducing or modifying the mentioned strike periods “if these developments are documented with a guarantee that the company will carry out the promised assessments.
Last Wednesday, Mónica Molina arranged a meeting among all parties: the company, the Committee, the Canary Islands Institute of Work Safety (Icasel), the Insurance Company, and the Prevention Service. In this forum, the preventive measures taken so far were discussed with the commitment to re-evaluate at-risk employees.
The 202 employees’ representatives also received a commitment to hire two additional Human Resources support staff, one of their original demands since the collective conflict began on February 9th.
Other issues among the 32 demands of the workers were addressed yesterday. The focus was once again on resolving the silica dust problem, the main hurdle to an agreement. A breakthrough seems imminent, if not for a final solution, at least to temporarily suspend the strike. The parties have scheduled to reconvene next week.
