The Works Council of the Tourist Centers has denounced the renting of an external premises by the management to evict them from the Farmer's Monument. A fact to which the workers object. "First, because there is no need and, second, because within the CACT there are plenty of spaces that we can perfectly occupy", said its president, Antonio Bonilla, who accuses the entity of "wasting public money".
In a letter dated May 2 from the Human Resources of the EPEL-CACT, the Works Council was informed that, as of June 1, its headquarters, located in the Farmer's Monument, will be adapted "to be part of the visitable space for customers, thus ensuring that the entire center can be visited in its entirety".
Therefore, and "as a result of the implementation of the new business model of the center", they were informed that they were "forced to move the current headquarters of the Works Council", informing them that the entity was making "a new premises very close to the central offices" of the CACT, located on Blás Cabrera Topham Street, available to them. "The premises are in perfect condition, have windows with natural light, a toilet, telephone, internet and fax", the letter stated, where it was pointed out that the premises would be "available from May 15" and the Works Council was asked to begin the transfer "from the aforementioned date".
They criticize the company's practices of "cronyism and cronyism"
The Works Council responded to this communication two days later with another letter, in which it requested an "urgent meeting" to, among other things, address the "lack of respect" towards this committee by notifying it "with so little time for the eviction" and the "lack of consensus in making the decision". "Having countless free rooms in each and every one of the centers, how is it that they come up with paying the rent for an external premises to the company? Rent that this committee has neither requested nor needs", the union representatives also questioned, who also requested to know the "name of the owner and lucky person" to whom the rent was going to be paid, indicating that they did not want to be made "participants in the practices of cronyism and cronyism and in the ways of wasting public money that the company follows".
"They are given a month's notice so that they can organize themselves with respect to documentation, etc., that they want to pack", Human Resources replied in a second letter that it sent to the Works Council on May 10, in which it insisted that "the new project of the Farmer's Monument is necessary" for the entity. "We are concerned with providing the workers' representatives with adequate premises" and stated that the transfer "is temporary, since this entity currently does not have premises for this purpose". It also indicated that the rent represents for the entity "a total of 350 net euros per month".
Workers refuse to use a rented place
This led the Works Council to address Human Resources again, recalling that it is the company's "obligation" to provide them with "adequate premises", as "specified in the workers' statute". "We inform you that we are not going to make use of any rented premises, even if it is temporarily. Therefore, you can terminate the contract and economize that expense", the Works Council then conveyed to them,
The workers' representatives also questioned that, while they are placed "in rented premises, SPEL workers are provided with a boardroom that could perfectly be the headquarters for this committee". "In other words, with CACT money we pay for the SPEL to be as comfortable as possible, while all possible obstacles are put in the way of the workers' representatives", they concluded.
However, in a third letter dated May 16, Human Resources reiterated to the Works Council that "on June 1 they have to completely vacate the current headquarters to adapt it for customer visits". "Since May 15, they have at their disposal the premises that are in perfect condition. Not only does it have a telephone, internet, fax, a toilet and windows, but it is also equipped with furniture, in order to avoid major transfers if you wish", he added.
"The company is laughing at us with the issue of rentals"
"We have made many cuts regarding salary, we have increased working hours, and now the company is laughing at us with the issue of rentals. Not only with the rental of the Marina Rubicón premises, which seems shameful to us, but the CACT have premises and rooms that can be used for these tasks", insisted the president of the CACT Works Council in statements to La Voz, who affirms that "inside the Farmer's Monument there are still rooms" that could be used.
"If we only need a space for a computer, we are not asking for one for each union section, which is how it should be", Bonilla pointed out, who has stated "no" opposing however that they be transferred "temporarily", but yes to renting a place. "We are not going to allow it. First, because there is no need and, second, because within the CACT there are plenty of spaces that we can perfectly occupy and if not the Cabildo is very large. And temporarily they can put us wherever they want, but not rent a place for us", said the president of the Works Council, who has criticized that "a place has also been rented for the new Espacio 48 offices", causing the entity to incur new expenses.
