Public outrage and lifeguard despair over 6 months of unpaid wages in Arona

[Janet]

An argument, indeed an outrage, that has been rumbling on for six months has now culminated in some 20 Arona lifeguards going on hunger strike. The guards have not been paid wages for all that time, and unions say they deplore the Ayuntamiento's "passivity" in effectively ignoring the workers' plight. The council, for its part, says that the problem is that the lifeguards are employed, and must be paid, by a private company contracted by the municipality, and that this company is in financial difficulties.

Some might ask whether or not this company is now surely in breach of its contractual obligations to the Ayuntamiento, since it can hardly be expected that such contracts allow for employees' wages not to be paid. As such, some might also ask why the council hasn't annulled the contract and given it to another business which will pay its staff. Such tales of workers going months without pay are not uncommon here, indeed they underpin the frequent rubbish strikes that plague the south of Tenerife, but six months without money and workers needing to go on hunger strike in desperation brings shame on Tenerife. JA

[Janet]

The papers today are covering the story of one of the hunger strikers, Verónica Rodríguez, who is staging her hunger strike in a tent at her place of work on Playa de las Vistas in Los Cristianos. Why should I not live in a tent, she says? I've already lost everything and the bank is about to repossess my apartment and evict me anyway because my family are no longer able to help me keep up the mortgage payments. Given that she has a job, she would not be one of the tiny minority entitled to kind treatment by banks: that this job is not bringing in any wages would not be considered "relevant". The lifeguards' situation has been called "unsustainable". It's not the only situation that could be so described.

[Guanche]

This is no doubt one of thousands of similar stories throughout Spain! And still nothing is done. I have a vision of headless chickens running around government and council offices throughout Spain very, very, very slowly.

Isn't the council failing in it's public safety roll now? Even if it's not the councils fault over the pay? The council now knows whats happening and the life guards cannot function at the necessary level if their on hunger strike. So effectively there are no life guards.

Will the council close the beach?

[Janet]

The council has assured the public that there is no danger to safety .....

of course .....

[Guanche]

I bet they won't say what the contingency plans are! It's more than likely a council employe crossing their finger on both hands instead of just one!!

[Michael]

This scenario is totally disgusting. It is making Spain look like a third world country.

[Janet]

Frankly, I think it's worse than a third world country. Spain has encouraged people to believe and behave as though it were a rich country in which they could invest safely. All the while it was riddled with corrupt banks, corrupt politicians, and corrupt businesses. And then when it all explodes it leaves its own people to starve in the streets.

[Myrtle Hogan-Lance]

I really hope the lifeguards prevail and get all their back wages.

[Guanche]

I've just sent a 'I've got a story' to our favourite news paper!!!!

[Michael]

I've just sent a 'I've got a story' to our favourite news paper!!!!

Not that favourite newspaper?