After two years without being able to do it due to pandemic restrictions, the reinforcement campaign of the Labor and Social Security Inspections in the Canary Islands begins, with the arrival of the first contingent of a total of 32 inspectors (ITSS) from other autonomous communities who, for a month and a half, will increase the pressure on Canarian companies that fail to comply with labor regulations.
The Minister of Employment, Elena Máñez, argued that the underground economy is an issue "that concerns the governments of the Canary Islands and Spain, and the fight against labor fraud is also a commitment of employers' associations and trade union organizations."
The contribution of 150,000 euros from the Government of the Canary Islands serves to cover the transfer and accommodation expenses of the 32 inspectors who will travel to the islands to intensify the pressure on irregular hiring. "What we are talking about is completely unfair competition with companies that do comply and that also leaves workers outside any area of protection in labor matters and deprives them of their rights," Máñez specified.
The territorial director of the Labor and Social Security Inspectorate in the Canary Islands, Francisco Guindín, was the one who presented the newly arrived inspectors to the regional authorities and highlighted that, since January, the work of the ITSS has already allowed almost 5,000 irregular jobs to surface in the Canary Islands, "of which 26% corresponded to the hotel industry, 19% to the services sector and 12% to the commerce sector", so these will be the sectors where they will reinforce control the most.
Guindín continued explaining that, in addition, "the reinforcement will allow a greater number of these controls to be carried out at unusual times, such as at night and on holidays, in some 1,300 companies."
To conclude, the territorial director of the ITSS highlighted that the object of his service "is always to bring out irregular conduct at work and not to sanction." For this reason, he affirms that "if now, upon learning about this campaign, there are companies that go directly to their consultancies to regularize situations, both we and the Government of the Canary Islands will be delighted, because the objectives of the reinforcement will have already begun to be achieved."
Between January and September, 4,756 irregular jobs surfaced in the Canary Islands
Until September, before this reinforcement was launched, 4,756 irregularities were detected. Most of them referred to workers who were not registered with Social Security, a total of 3,269 cases.
Next are the cases of people who worked workdays with increases of more than 50% of what was agreed, or who had to go from part-time to full-time contracts, with a total of 1,312 workers affected.
In addition, 61 cases of people who were working while receiving unemployment benefits or subsidies were detected, and files were opened for 44 obstructions, for not identifying people who were suspected of carrying out a work activity in irregular conditions.
There were also 114 cases of non-EU foreign people who were working without a work permit.