The Arrecife City Council, through the Department of Cleaning, reiterates "its commitment to the citizens" following the announcement of a strike by the employees of Urbaser SA, the company that holds the contract for the street cleaning and waste collection service in the municipality.
In this line, the Consistory emphasizes that "this is a strictly labor dispute between the company and its workers, in which the City Council will act as a mediator within the current legal framework." "We have complied with all our obligations. The City Council is up to date with payments to Urbaser and the relevant price revisions have been formalized, in accordance with the contract," highlights Jacobo Lemes.
The councilor also points out that the priority of the City Council is, in this order, to guarantee the provision of the service to the citizens and to ensure the well-being of the workers. "We stand by the workers in those demands that are fair. Even so, we must remember that the company submitted to the tender with conditions that it is obliged to comply with, although there is always room for negotiation," Lemes points out.
In anticipation of this situation, approximately a month and a half ago, the City Council requested Urbaser for its salary structure, information that is still pending receipt. "This data is essential to analyze the context and be able to effectively mediate in the conflict," they point out.
Likewise, the City Council, which has already initiated several sanctioning proceedings against the concessionaire, is studying other possible ways to guarantee the correct provision of the service.
In order to facilitate dialogue and find a solution that benefits all parties, the Councilor for Cleaning has announced the calling of a meeting between the company and the representatives of the workers. "We will spare no effort in mediating in this conflict and ensuring that both the service and labor rights are respected," concludes Lemes.