The Municipal Institute of Social Care (IMAS) has been compelled to “halt” the implementation of the new management model for the Home Help Service (SAD), which had drawn applications from six companies intending to launch it by the year’s end. This managerial alteration, as explained by the area councillor, Charín González, would represent significant enhancements for the 1,200 elderly individuals benefiting from this service, in addition to improving the working conditions of the helpers involved.
The fresh model entails the selected company taking on the beneficiaries, alongside the obligation to retain the staff of almost 300 employees. Furthermore, this personnel must see an increase in remuneration per hour of service, as well as implement a procedure to regulate both emergency and general cleaning tasks.
However, the councillor for Social Action and CEO of IMAS, Leopoldo Benjumea, met with the SAD works council last week to communicate that this proposed management transition has been momentarily postponed, following reports from the auditors of the city council and a requisite modification of municipal and regional laws and decrees, which hinders its immediate enactment.
In this context, Councillor Charín González informed DIARIO DE AVISOS yesterday that, “we are continuing with the process, but the issue is that the current contract concludes at the end of the month, thus it will be extended to the same company until a new management model can be established, for which we await the report from the Government of the Canary Islands for its inclusion in the Social Services catalogue.”
González confirmed that, despite this situation, “the continuity of home help is assured. We are currently assessing the six proposals submitted by entities for collaboration agreements, which is crucial for the new SAD model.” Therefore, “once these two issues are addressed, we will initiate the new model, which we hope to do at the earliest opportunity,” she noted.
On their part, the unions CCOO, USO, and Intersindical Canaria, members of the SAD works council in the capital who had previously pledged to suspend the mobilisations announced last December pending the new management model, have now responded to the announcement made by IMAS regarding this matter.
In this regard, Intersindical Canaria added that, “in compensation for the delay, the city council vows to increase the amount for the successful bidder, Atende, commencing December 1, with the intent that they, in turn, will proceed to increase the hourly payment for auxiliaries. The challenge is that the company, under the terms of the agreement, has no obligation to adjust salaries until the tender occurs. Everything remains uncertain, but the negotiating table will continue to oversee the requested improvements.”
