The cleaning company and the UIB accuse each other of having workers in extreme temperatures.
The university says it is unaware that women were working on these dates and the company claims it was unaware that the air conditioning had been removed.
PalmThe University of the Balearic Islands (UIB) and the cleaning company (IC Serveis) maintain that they were unaware that the disabled employees were working in temperatures of around 40 degrees Celsius and without air conditioning, and they blame each other for the situation. They also emphasize that they had not received any formal complaints from the employees alerting them to this situation, despite the fact that the university turns off the air conditioning every year during summer vacation. The company indicated that its human resources managers will contact the UIB to clarify the situation.
The company's executive director, Alberto Gundin, explains that they were unaware that the facilities would not be air-conditioned for two weeks in August, because neither the UIB's human resources department notified them nor did the tender contract mention this. He also denies having received any formal complaints in this regard, despite several knowledgeable sources stating that every year there is discontent among the workforce because the air conditioning is turned off. In this regard, he emphasizes that the workers "are not confined," but rather work with the ability to enter and exit the building as needed and take breaks, drink water, and apply sunscreen. "They have a direct channel with our managers, and there are no complaints via WhatsApp or email," he explains, noting that a heat protocol is in place. "If we had been aware of the situation, more schedule adjustments could have been made," he explains.
On the contrary, the UIB insists that the responsibility lies with the company. "This isn't the first year the university has closed these two weeks for vacation. This has been happening for years, and the employees know it," explained UIB Vice-Rector Lucrecia Paz Burges at the ARA Baleares. "We haven't received any complaints; we didn't know this company operated there," she commented, although the company maintains that the contract tender stipulates that work will also be carried out throughout August. "If they need to do a thorough cleaning, they could do it starting next week, since the school year doesn't start until the 10th," the vice-rector stated, adding that, for now, "the air conditioning filters are being changed" and "maintenance work" is being carried out. However, she explained that the university will contact the company to review its conditions.
An expert: "The responsibility would lie with both entities"
Labor law specialist José Manuel Raya believes that both entities "are responsible" for the situation. "Both the UIB and the company have responsibilities regarding occupational risk prevention, because they work on university premises and because the company hires them," he argues. "If there were an accident due to heat exhaustion, both entities could be asked for explanations, as a matter of prevention, supervision, and prior control," he insists. The regulations establish a temperature range of between 17 and 27 degrees for sedentary work, and between 14 and 25 degrees for manual labor. However, they are unclear regarding outdoor jobs: the royal decree establishing minimum health and safety conditions in the workplace establishes that "measures must be taken so that workers can protect themselves from inclement weather." In this regard, the company insists that there is an active protocol in place regarding this matter.