The Canary Islands United Left in Lanzarote expresses its condemnation after learning of the arrest of three people accused of subjecting their workers to inhuman working conditions in a snack production company located in the municipalities of Teguise and Tías.
According to the National Police, employees were forced to work abusive hours, without rest, in unsanitary spaces and without labor rights. For the political formation it is a case that "highlights the darkest side of an economic model based on the exploitation of vulnerable people".
The investigation, carried out by the National Police in collaboration with the Labor and Social Security Inspectorate, began after an initial inspection in which a worker was discovered housed in a room without minimum conditions of health or hygiene. In a second inspection at another headquarters of the same company, it was confirmed that the practices of labor abuse were widespread. Finally, three people — aged 66, 44 and 39 — were arrested and placed at the disposal of the court as alleged perpetrators of crimes against workers' rights and against moral integrity.
For the formation, this case is not an isolated event, but a symptom of a system that allows job insecurity, lack of protection and exploitation to be a structural part of the island's economy, especially in sectors with high hiring of migrants. “We are facing a modern form of slavery that still exists in 2025 under the guise of business activity,” said Jorge Peñas, IUC spokesperson in Lanzarote.
Peñas adds that “this model of impunity is based on the vulnerability of those who work without papers, on the lack of effective inspections and on a vision of work as a mere commodity. People are exploited because of their origin, their administrative situation, their forced silence. And that must have consequences.”
From IUC Lanzarote, the Government of the Canary Islands and the central Government are required to "act forcefully guaranteeing that the full weight of the law falls on those responsible for this case, urgently reinforcing the staff and resources of the Labor Inspectorate, protecting the victims and guaranteeing their access to public reception and regularization resources, and promoting a comprehensive strategy against job insecurity and exploitation in the islands, with a specific focus on the sectors where the greatest violations are concentrated."
“It is not just about punishing a few unscrupulous businessmen, but about dismantling a model that naturalizes abuse, while many close their eyes. Institutions have a duty to ensure that no one is left out of the protection of their rights simply because of their passport or administrative situation,” insisted the island spokesperson.
From IUC, a clear message has also been launched: “Lanzarote's economy is sustained by the work of thousands of people, often invisible, who give everything to make the island work. Demanding labor dignity for them is a democratic duty. And there can be no fair coexistence if we tolerate modern slavery in our streets.”
The Canary Islands United Left reiterates its commitment to human rights, decent work and an economy based on respect and social justice. “The fight for dignity begins here: in every workplace, in every inspection that is carried out, in every worker who knows that they are not alone,” concluded Peñas.