Far from abating the labor conflict between the management of the nursing home of Formentera and the staff in relation to the change of schedule, the situation is one step away from entering a path of no return.
According to sources present at the negotiation to La Voz de Ibiza, last Friday at least five professionals told the management of their firm decision to leave their jobs immediately. So much so that the resignation could become effective on Monday. And at least three other workers would be close to taking the same path.
In all cases, these are female workers with the professional category of social-healthcare worker.
We would therefore be talking about the continuity of half of a workforce of 14 female workers, which is in the air and hanging by a thread.
Decisive hours at Formentera residence
These are decisive hours for the nursing home of Formentera, since if the resignations become effective, they will have immediate effect. As they are public sector workers, it is not necessary to give 15 days’ notice as in the private sector. The usual practice is to communicate the resignation and immediately begin to enjoy the pending vacations and days off before formalizing the departure of the staff.
Obviously, the care of the 18 users currently residing at the center would be greatly affected if the discharges finally occur.
Difficult to replace
It is not easy to find workers in Formentera to replace them. In a recent call for applications to fill a leave of absence, only one candidate applied and she was obviously hired. In other calls for applications, the candidates were either already working or had joined the team as replacements.
It is obvious that the climate of tension and tension in the residence does not help to reinforce the attractiveness of the places.
The latest chapter experienced on Friday, coinciding precisely with the second anniversary of the opening of the center, is a reflection of the climate of hostility that has prevailed since the management decided to change the schedule without consulting the staff .
Unilateral change of schedule
Until then, the center applied the 2+3 regime, a very common system in this type of health and social-health services. This involves working 12 hours two days in a row and taking three days off in successive periods.
The proposed change was rejected last November by UGT, CCOO and, in view of the lack of consensus, by the then president Llorenç Córdoba at the Negotiating Table.
Since then, several rounds of negotiations have taken place without success, in view of the massive resignations announced on Friday.
Proposal rejected by workers
Friday was the last time the two sides met. The management proposed a new schedule. In an informal vote through the Whatsapp group, the workers rejected the proposal.
At the meeting, the head of the institution’s legal services, Paola Sales, warned the staff that the Consell de Formentera has the ability to impose the schedules it considers without the need for agreement with the staff .
This position was very poorly received by the staff, so much so that the aforementioned resignations were announced.
Lack of personnel in the residence
In addition to the conflict over the schedule change, there are other disagreements between staff and management.
The social health workers are demanding more staff to avoid having only one professional at night to attend to 18 users and to avoid having to perform functions for which they are not qualified.
They are calling for reinforcements of nurses, orderlies, orderlies, psychologists and social workers, among other disciplines necessary for the care of the elderly.
All this has been brought to the attention of the Labor Inspectorate by UGT, a union that has been denouncing the bad practices and the unbreathable working environment in the residence.
According to what was announced to the workers by Consell officials, the intention of the management is to meet privately with each of the workers in order to redirect the situation before it is too late.
A decisive week, therefore, for a conflict that has been brewing for months and is reaching a dead end.
