
The security guards of the Barcelona metro have called an indefinite strike starting this Sunday, January 26 at 00:00 hours, to protest against the aggression suffered by one of their colleagues last weekend, which ended up causing the loss of an eye.
The decision announced by CCOO, denounces that the accident at work could have been avoided with “proper staffing and adequate equipment”, and has pointed out that this is not an isolated case. The union calls for a comprehensive response involving the participation of Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB).
What are the metro security guards asking for?
The surveillance workers have sent a letter to Laia Bonet, president of TMB, to denounce what they consider to be unsafe and precarious working conditions.
Among their demands are:
- Lack of training: The guards do not receive sufficient preparation to manage critical situations in a public infrastructure as busy as the metro.
- Understaffing: They denounce that the staffing levels are insufficient, which increases the risk for both workers and users.
- Low salaries: CCOO points out that salaries do not reflect the responsibility and complexity of the work they perform.
- Lack of equipment: They request means such as defense sprays, especially for night shifts, and an improvement in occupational risk prevention measures.
The union already held a rally on January 13, a few days before the aggression, demanding improvements in the work and effective measures to prevent aggressions.
The two companies in charge of security in the metro, Securitas and Prosegur, will presumably join this strike. The Prosegur workers have in fact already had a strike called since January 17, although it is not encouraging its follow-up, since, apparently, this was called to achieve a salary negotiation which is already underway….
For its part, the union ADN Sindical Servicios y Seguridad Cataluña will appear as a private prosecutor in the case of the aggression against the guard who lost an eye, demanding greater protection for the guards.
A brutal aggression
The strike had already been brewing and the guards have been complaining about their conditions for some time, but this Sunday’s protest was sparked by the aggression that took place last Saturday.
The aggression occurred at 23.45 hours last Saturday, when several guards intervened to stop a fight, which ended with four guards assaulted, one of whom had to be hospitalized and ended up losing an eye.