Mobilizations at the Son Reus landfill due to precarious labor and lack of safety
The union denounces constant biological risk, lack of protection and inadequate vehicles in the municipal service of Palma and demands to "urgently" open its own agreement with the concessionary company Athisa
PalmaThe labor situation at the Son Reus municipal landfill in Palma has entered a phase of open conflict. The UGT union has announced staff mobilizations starting July 17th due to the "serious labor precariousness" and lack of safety in a service considered essential for the city.
The protests come after months of tensions with the concessionaire company Athisa, which the union accuses of not responding to workers' meeting requests, as well as the lack of an effective response from the Palma City Council to unblock the conflict.
UGT calls for the "urgent" opening of negotiations for a company-specific agreement that will allow for dignified working conditions that, as they report, are "lamentable" and incompatible with the service's functions.
Constant biological risk and lack of safety
The union warns that staff work in an environment of permanent biological risk, with exposure to diseases such as rabies, leptospirosis, and scabies. It also recalls the attack by a dog on two workers on December 1st, an episode that has not led - according to their complaints - to sufficient improvements in occupational safety and health.
Among the deficiencies detected by union inspections are vehicles without access ramps, without individual cages or adequate ventilation, as well as a lack of compartmentalized drinking troughs and measures to cope with high temperatures.
Added to this is the lack of potable water supply for the staff and facilities that, according to UGT, do not guarantee the safe isolation of animals.
Insufficient equipment and possible legal non-compliance
The union also denounces that the protection equipment is insufficient: patrols are often carried out with limited material —a single protective suit and a shield per couple— and with containment elements that they consider inadequate.
For all these reasons, UGT warns that the current conditions could prevent compliance with current regulations on animal welfare and considers the conflict a labor, health, and also public service problem.