The general secretary of the Canary Islands Workers’ Commissions, Inocencio González, alongside Manuel Navarro, the general secretary of UGT Canarias, have announced in a press conference the new pressure tactics that the unions will implement during the planned strike at the Metropolitano de Tenerife in the upcoming months.
Inocencio González and Manuel Navarro emphasised that the Metropolitano workforce has initiated this strike to urge the Cabildo to safeguard its employees and provide quality public services that are free from health risks. They stated that this initiative is “for health, prevention, and advocating for the rights of workers to avoid illness in the workplace.”
During the press briefing, they referenced a report indicating that the exposure levels for both Metropolitano and the two contracting companies—one for cleaning and the other for gardening—are “at thresholds that surpass the limits, and the remaining assessed employees are at significantly elevated levels of risk.”
González and Navarro cautioned that this predicament impacts not only the workers but also the tram passengers. They noted that official bodies have confirmed the presence of various diseases that may affect them, which include chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, kidney failure, autoimmune disorders, and heightened susceptibility to tuberculosis.
They highlighted the existence of alternatives to this harmful silica, such as calcium silicate, but expressed disappointment about “the company’s indifference towards prevention.” They remarked, “With numerous complaints from inspections in its wake, the company’s approach has been to provoke and wear down union representatives regarding preventive measures. This is despite the environmental daily exposure limit values (VLEAD) exceeding what is deemed hazardous for this substance,” they concluded.
