Four of the five trade unions forming the majority of the company committee for the Home Help Service (SAD) in Santa Cruz (USO, CCOO, CGT, and Intersindical Canaria) announced yesterday the cancellation of mobilisations aimed at safeguarding labour rights that were scheduled for tomorrow and the 25th. These protests aimed to underscore their commitment to the labour rights of more than 300 auxiliaries, who allege that the current winning company, Atende, “compelled” them to perform emergency cleanings in the homes of users, which include over 1,200 elderly or disabled individuals, according to their claims.
The four unions have successfully reached an agreement with the CEO of the Municipal Institute of Social Care (IMAS), Leopoldo Benjumea, which acknowledges the “non-obligation” of auxiliary staff to carry out extraordinary or emergency cleanings. This agreement also sets up a working group to analyse and implement a procedure on standard cleaning, establishing a series of guidelines and conditions, ensuring that “it is not the SAD assistant who is responsible for performing all tasks within their duties, with an equitable and coherent distribution of the assigned hours.”
Furthermore, the agreement stipulates that incoming entities under the new management structure for the Home Assistance System, which the city’s Council is finalising, must ensure that “the uniforms display the logo of the local Council, as a way to demonstrate that there remains a connection despite the new contracts.”
A colour code has been negotiated to identify the relevant medical conditions of users, ensuring the safety of workers, alongside a review, monitoring, and recycling for users and their families, including regular visits and written communications about their responsibilities as a preventive measure. Additionally, the agreement will include the provision of more technical equipment, such as adapted shower chairs, hoists, or adjustable beds, to ensure the well-being of the staff.
The IMAS and the four representative unions have agreed on the necessity of preventative measures for assistants in private home services, mandating that the safety personnel of the entities evaluate domestic settings.
The negotiating unions within the SAD committee, from which UGT has withdrawn, stated yesterday that “we will monitor the adherence to the points and timelines in which they are to be enacted. Otherwise, we will resume our calls for protests.”
