The Granada City Council, governed by the PP, has communicated in a written document sent to the Local Police officers of this Andalusian city that if no agreement is reached with their union representatives on the shift model by this Thursday, a special services decree will be issued for Holy Week, similar to the one issued last Sunday for security coverage around the Padre Marcelino race.
The decree mandates the mandatory attendance of Local Police officers needed to ensure public safety for the extraordinary service, as detailed by the Granada City Council at that time.
«If there are not enough volunteers to cover the Holy Week service, we will be forced once again to resort to the decree to ensure the service,» the document sent to the officers by the Protection and Human Resources departments states, as consulted by Europa Press. The council acknowledges that «this decision is not liked by anyone, inside or outside the force, but the city must have the necessary security for such a significant event.»
«The decree is, once again, an exceptional measure, which we resort to out of institutional responsibility and due to lack of viable alternatives,» the City Council states in this context of disagreement with the unions regarding overtime pay.
The Granada City Council is hopeful that in the coming weeks, there will be a new head of the Local Police Department, currently being held on an interim basis after José Manuel Avilés’ resignation following UDEF raids in the context of the judicial investigation into alleged irregularities in recruitment processes and internal promotions within this security force. The person assuming the position will have a clear mandate to «review and improve the existing shifts so that the current weekend coverage can continue and also structure the annual service to include all major events in the city as regular service.»
In coordination with Human Resources, the Protection Department aims for the Department to focus on «reviewing the already agreed upon supplements and their legal obligation.»
«With all this, we aim not to find ourselves in the current situation again,» states the document sent to the local police officers, which appreciates the «courage of those» who have «understood the current situation» and are «voluntarily participating in the Holy Week services» despite the assembly’s decision due to disagreement with the overtime system. It also encourages «those» who have «doubts» to reconsider their «position.»
In an assembly held on March 12 at the Local Police Headquarters, according to independent unions of Local Police in Granada (Siplg) and Andalusia Police (SIP-AN) and CSIF, it was unanimously agreed to abstain from performing extraordinary services outside the work schedule. A statement on the 25th confirmed that the compliance with this measure was «total» among the personnel.
The City Council, in the document from this Wednesday, affirms that it «does not close the door to dialogue, but sets the limits of what is possible and what is not. We are willing to continue working for a Local Police force with good working conditions, modern, efficient, and recognized. But not at the expense of compromising service provision, meaning we will not accept weakening the weekend service by once again subjecting it to voluntary overtime.»
«With the respect that the entire staff deserves, but also with the firmness required by the situation,» both the Protection Department and Human Resources explain to the officers that in recent months, there has been «a sustained effort to improve service organization, address» labor demands, and keep open a negotiation space.
«The shifts that are now being questioned, involving almost the entire staff to work one weekend out of every three, were implemented to correct an extremely deficient service, not only severely impacting the safety of Granada’s residents and the agents themselves but also leaving key services» related to «victims of gender violence and minors, the environment, or traffic during times of heightened city activity» without coverage.
«From the Department of Public Safety, we have presented various proposals, some of them requiring significant budgetary efforts, with the sole aim of bridging positions, preserving the operational capacity of the force, and maintaining a fluid relationship based on mutual responsibility,» the document adds, emphasizing that «there has never been an intention to skimp on costs, within the City Council’s possibilities,» and that «the sole concern» is «to offer the best possible service to the residents of Granada.»
UNVIABLE PATH
«However, we must say it with complete clarity: the situation regarding negotiations has not improved. On the contrary, it has been exacerbated by a series of decisions and stances that, from our perspective, move us further away from any possible solution and push us towards scenarios that harm the entire staff,» indicating that the solution voted on in the assembly «and which the unions present as the only acceptable path, is simply unviable.»
«We cannot accept a proposal that seeks to completely reverse the shift model implemented a year ago, returning the force to a precarious weekend coverage situation but aiming to maintain the economic compensations associated with the current model,» explains the Granada City Council.