The layoffs at the Ecuadorian Social Security Institute (IESS) began on December 29, 2023, as part of a plan to optimize human talent. According to the workers’ spokesman, Richard Gómez, on December 29, at least 124 employees of the Carlos Andrade Marín Hospital were informed that their casual contracts would not be renewed. Among those dismissed are 25 from administration and 99 from the health sector, including doctors, nurses, therapists and others. The contracts were valid only until December 31, 2023.

It was stated in the separate report issued on December 29 of this year, which determines that the contracts on occasional business in this hospital of the IESS system will end. You can see in the report that the employees had salaries between $800 and $2,600.

Just this morning, the institute announced in an official statement that it will abandon the optimization plan, and it was mentioned that 34,000 employees work in the IESS. In a statement on the decision, the IESS stated the following: “The fundamental objective is to protect institutional resources as it currently has more than 34,000 employees. The measures that will be adopted are necessary, timely and will not affect the health services and benefits provided by the institution.”

Richard Gómez said that from his position, he does not agree with this type of layoffs, which are given without a rigorous analysis of the layoffs, since the layoff of so many health workers could affect health care.

According to the demerger report, the reason for the move is that these casual contracts have expired. The report mentions the regulations: “Article 58 of the casual service contract. – Signing of the casual service contract. Exceptionally, this will be approved by the appointing authority to meet non-permanent institutional needs, before the reasoned report of the Human Talent Management Unit, provided there is a budget line and availability economic resources for this purpose… (…) Due to its nature, this type of contract does not create stability, in the case of pregnant women, the validity of the contract will last until the end of the fiscal period in which their breastfeeding period ends, in accordance with the law. …”