The union majority demonstrates in Bilbao and Pamplona to denounce that precariousness “kills”

Euskaraz irakurri: Prekarietateak hil egiten duela salatzeko manisfetazioak egin ditu gehiengo sindikalak Bilbon eta Iruñean

Today, April 28, International Day for Safety and Health at Work, the unions that make up the Basque union majority have demonstrated in Bilbao and Pamplona to denounce that precariousness kills. Likewise, they have held employers and public bodies responsible for workplace accidents.

Under the slogan “Killer precariousness. No more accidents at work!”, the ELA, LAB, ESK, Steilas, Etxalde and Hiru unions have denounced that some do not apply sufficient preventive measures and others lack sufficient controls to guarantee safety measures.

As they have highlighted, occupational accidents are a structural problem. A reflection of this is that despite the decrease in work activity in 2021 as a result of the cuts and covid-19, workplace accidents have increased in Hego Euskal Herria: 10% in the Basque Autonomous Community and almost 17% in Navarra, according to the unions.

Representative of LAB and ELA have pointed out that “the culprit is the employers, who do not prevent prevention in companies and prioritize economic interests.” The institutions, for their part, have been asked for more investments and not to look the other way.

In addition, the unions have denounced that the official statistics include underreporting of certain occupational diseases.

Although in the Basque Autonomous Community CC.OO. and UGT have met separately, in Navarre the protest has been joint. Both unions have shown their concern about the increase in occupational accidents in Navarra. Last year, 10,000 accidents were recorded and it closed with a balance of 13 deaths. For this reason, they ask the Regional Government to put occupational prevention at the center.

Osalan, For its part, it has highlighted that it carries out a accounting system for occupational accidents and deaths different from that of the unions, and that therein lies the reason for the fluctuation of numbers given by both parties. Lourdes Iscargeneral director of Osalan, says that they do not hide data and that all accidents are investigated.

“There is no hidden accident, obviously not, it was just missing. The difference is that we only talk about the accidents that occurred in the Basque Country, we investigate all the people who die in our community. But it is true that what we register are registered parts”, has pointed out.