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

[Guanche]

Do us a favour and copy & paste it on here as well. 

They didn't run it last time Michael and it was a slow news day!
Just a couple of questions, to clarify things before I go for it.

There is in fact some life guards working on the affected beaches providing minimum cover but just not being paid by anyone?
If not is there any cover at all, extra Police, extra Protection civil patrols or anything?
The Mayor has been convicted of corruption or is being investigated for corruption and appealing against it?
All the beaches have the 'Blue' flag. I will be contacting the EU agency that over sees the issue of the flags as life saving capabilities are one of the criteria for having a blue flag.

Think thats all for now. I know this info is here somewhere I just need to be sure of my facts.

[Janet]

Just a couple of questions, to clarify things before I go for it. ...

There is in fact some life guards working on the affected beaches providing minimum cover but just not being paid by anyone?
Yes, as Veronica says, they are obliged by employment law to provide minimum services during a strike because the nature of their work is a public service. They have appealed now to the Dept of Employment not to enforce this any more since they have been working, albeit minimum services, for six months without pay, but at present, and until and unless the Government allows them to stop, they continue to provide those minimum services.

The Mayor has been convicted of corruption or is being investigated for corruption and appealing against it?
There is now a new mayor. The previous mayor was investigated, found guilty, appealed ... and refused to resign until the appeal went against him, if it did. It did. He still had to be forced out of office, with those who opposed him complaining of damage to their cars, threatening behaviour, even death threats in one or two cases.

All the beaches have the 'Blue' flag. I will be contacting the EU agency that over sees the issue of the flags as life saving capabilities are one of the criteria for having a blue flag.
They most certainly are part of the criteria. The problem is that there are lifeguards ... just working to rule.

[Guanche]

Thanks Janet. It's going to be a hard one to sell. Making it sound a bad as possible yet still telling the truth! I know this sounds terrible but it would be better if there was no cover at all.
Just one thing Janet, was it you that posted a record number of drowning's on Tenerife last year? I may have read it somewhere else can't remember.

[Janet]

Yes, I've been campaigning quietly about it for some time now ...

HERE's the thread. 

[Janet]

Papers mightn't go with it, but the TV is. She's been interviewed today on RTVC, and the live Good Morning Canaries programme will be there tomorrow at 8am. She would welcome the support of anyone who can go along.

[Janet]

I doubt that will get in the papers, they wouldn't be allowed.

Nothing to do with balls I'm afraid.

Could you explain??

[El Profesor]

Could you explain??

Media manipulation. Arona is a CC stronghold, it's simply not in their interest.

For example, not shopping your brother for holding up the post office has nothing to do with balls, you just don't do it.

[Janet]

but they don't have all the press in their pocket, do they?? surely??  El Día??

[Guanche]

Well they don't have El Pais! Ok I know it's from the peninsular

[Janet]

Well the silence in the papers is going to get very loud at some point because that was a really good live interview with Veronica this morning on TV Canaria. They really showed Arona Ayuntamiento up as a shameless authority, refusing wages while demanding work. The interviewers were really effective, leading viewers to the conclusion that the Ayto was trying to have it both ways ... either they employed the lifeguards, in which case they should pay them, or they "had no direct contract" with them ... in which case who was the authority to demand that the lifeguards work ...

Good journalism, from the TV station anyway, even if the papers have tied their own hands.