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ARCHIVED - Thousands of unchecked lifts in operation in the Region of Murcia due to strike
An ongoing strike by maintenance staff means around 9,000 lifts across Murcia have not had the necessary monthly safety checks
Around 12,000 lifts in the Region of Murcia are serviced by main lift operator, Zardoya Otis, with as many as 9,000 currently in operation without the necessary monthly safety checks due to an ongoing strike by the firm's maintenance workers, according to the local branch of the Elevators' Union.
"Since November 22, we technicians have been on strike and right now we are only doing minimum services, that is to say, we are solving breakdowns in hospitals, health centres, old people's homes, disability centres and rescuing those trapped inside", explained Francisco Gabriel Muñoz, member of the Works Committee for the Elevation Union, which represents 85% of the workers at national level and 98% at regional level.
On November 5, a large demonstration was held in Madrid triggering a strike by workers in the 128 Zardoya Otis offices throughout Spain.
One of the main demands is to update the wage structure in line with inflation, something that has not happened since 2010, according to the union which is also calling for a recruitment drive to "alleviate the current heavy workload".
According to the union spokesman, there used to be a repair team "but not any more, now all the notifications, and even the sales of small equipment, have to be done by the maintenance technicians".
At national level, around 2,000 jobs have been lost in recent years, between retirements and redundancies, added Muñoz.
With the above issues in mind, Otis technicians want to see a renewal of the collective bargaining agreement.
"We have an agreement at Otis that was first signed in 1979 and every four years it has been maintained or improved, but now the company is proposing cuts in our historically consolidated rights," says the Muñoz, pointing out that the last renewal expired in 2019, "so we have been in negotiations for two years".
Amongst other aspects that the company wants to impose, according to the union, is the obligation to provide a 24-hour service, and the application of 20 days per year of service fair dismissal pay.
Pupils at CEIP Narciso Yepes in Lorca are amongst those affected by the strike.
School Director, Juan Antonio Ruipérez, hit out at the situation on Twitter, arguing that "a school where there are students with wheelchairs who cannot access their classrooms should be a priority for Otis. We have repeatedly called the technical services and nothing".
Otis has only responded to say that the company "is in the process of negotiating the collective agreement" and to confirm that "the breakdown service is being affected" by the strikes.
Image: Otis Porun Convenio Digno
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