CSIF and the Garafía Town Council have sealed an agreement for a new collective agreement for the workforce, updating conditions that had not been reviewed for nearly two decades.
The Independent and Civil Servants Trade Union (CSIF) and the Garafía Town Council, in La Palma, have signed the agreement that will allow the approval of a new collective agreement for the Corporation's workforce. The UGT union, a minority in the Works Council, has committed to subsequently adhere to the signing, according to a statement from CSIF.
The new text considerably updates the previous agreement, which dated back almost 20 years, and strengthens the rights and remuneration of municipal workers. Among the most notable improvements is an increase in the productivity concept for working on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve: 150 euros per day for morning shifts and 300 euros per day for evening-night shifts.
The agreement also opens up avenues for internal and horizontal promotion, and establishes social aid, such as benefits for marriage, seniority, and studies, as well as for health expenses (dentistry, prosthetics, orthopaedics, and surgical procedures). The 100% improvement in cases of Temporary Incapacity is maintained, and the value of overtime and repayable advances is substantially increased.
Furthermore, a mixed compensation for holidays is set (50% in cash and 50% in time off), and permissions, vacations, and breaks are updated, maintaining a working week of 35 hours. CSIF has highlighted “the final climate of understanding that has presided over the negotiations” and has positively valued “the commitment shown by the Town Council to reach a beneficial and state-of-the-art agreement for public employees and for the proper functioning of the public services received by the citizens of Garafía.”
The union has expressed gratitude for “the determined political will of the Corporation's mayor to make this agreement possible.” CSIF has emphasized that the agreement is “the result of the dialogue and negotiation maintained between both parties, with the aim of updating the working conditions of municipal workers and adapting the agreement to current regulations and the current needs of the workforce.”
The new agreement adds to other achievements made by CSIF in the two years since they won the union elections in the Town Council, when they promised to reverse “the absolute union passivity of the last 20 years.” Among those advances are the workplace harassment protocol, the equality protocol, the Productivity Regulation, and, soon, the Job Position Relationship.
CSIF has stated that it will continue to work to defend the rights of public employees, promoting collective bargaining as the best instrument to reach agreements that result in improved working conditions and the quality of public services. With this agreement, the union considers the roadmap outlined two years ago to be fulfilled.
For the residents of Garafía, the agreement means an improvement in the provision of municipal services, as updated and motivating working conditions directly impact citizen attention. The agreement will come into effect after its final approval by the Town Council Plenary, presumably in the coming weeks.
