Employees of the Zubieta incinerator gathered today, May 26th, in Donostia's Gipuzkoa plaza, in front of the Gipuzkoako Foru Aldundia headquarters, for the third consecutive Tuesday. Under the slogan "Workers fighting at the Ekobal incinerator!", they aimed to remind the provincial representatives of their demands for decent working conditions and health guarantees. The workers' committee has denounced the failure to acknowledge the "real toxicity" and has held both the companies managing the plant and the Provincial Council responsible.
Today marked the last scheduled strike day for May, and there is significant news: following the mobilization on May 12th, they submitted a request for a meeting with the provincial deputy for Sustainability, Jose Ignacio Asensio, and have received an affirmative response. The meeting is scheduled for next Monday, June 1st.
The Gipuzkoa Collective Bargaining Agreement for Street Cleaning does not regulate the specific characteristics of the Zubieta incineration plant, as it operates similarly to an industrial plant.
The workers, who have been engaged in a year of meetings and four months of protests, continue their fight for decent working conditions. As reported by the LAB union, the companies Ekobal and Ekondakin show no willingness to move towards a company agreement that would regulate and improve conditions, and they criticize the "constant irresponsibility" of GHK and the Gipuzkoako Foru Aldundia. They have highlighted that the current collective agreement does not adequately cover key aspects such as the 24/7 shift system, maintenance services, or the daily biological risk faced by employees.
Therefore, the workers seek to agree on a specific company agreement that will regulate these precise working conditions. The employees are part of a business network involving Ekondakin (a public contract concessionaire company) and Ekobal (a subcontractor for plant operations), both with participation from the multinational corporation Urbaser.
Since the beginning of the year, they have carried out various mobilizations, both at the workplace and in front of the Gipuzkoako Foru Aldundia headquarters, denouncing the lack of employer willingness in negotiating their demands.
