Workers cannot claim unemployment benefits due to their dismissal pending transfer to the new municipal company.
Twenty employees and their families are struggling without income.
Road maintenance workers in Orihuela Costa have met with Orihuela City Council to address the uncertainty surrounding their employment. After two months without wages and no access to unemployment benefits, the situation for the 20 affected workers has become critical.
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According to the workers, municipal representatives explained during the meeting that the delay in their reinstatement is due to the absence of a regular supervisor to sign the necessary report for their service assignment. Additionally, the “acting supervisor” has requested modifications to the document before signing it.
This report is essential for officially recognizing the workers as employees of the municipal company, as had been previously promised. However, workers fear the situation may drag on indefinitely, as “there is no guarantee that the supervisor will sign it even after the requested changes.”
The company responsible for road maintenance until February 3 ended its contract, dismissing employees under a subrogation code. As a result, they are ineligible for unemployment benefits and have been without income for more than 60 days.
Workers have criticized the City Council for its lack of planning, arguing that officials knew as early as October that the contract would be expiring. “All of these procedures could have been completed while we were still working,” they claim.
The City Council has stated that once the report is signed, an extraordinary plenary session will be called to approve the commissioning of the service, along with the municipal solid waste contract. However, the affected workers remain sceptical, fearing further delays.
“We’ve been told we might start working in May, but that means we won’t get paid until June,” said the employees, who insist that their only option is to continue pursuing legal action. Meanwhile, 20 families remain without income and without a clear solution, deepening their frustration and discontent.
