Workers at the Selective Collection service in Lanzarote, managed by Urbaser and overseen by the local government, are set to take action due to ongoing disputes over their collective agreement, which has been under negotiation for over 20 months. The CCOO union claims that talks have reached an impasse, primarily concerning working hours and salary conditions.
Representatives stated that Urbaser is proposing changes to the current Monday to Friday work schedule, suggesting the inclusion of Saturdays. The union argues this would disrupt the employees’ personal and family lives.
CCOO has offered alternatives to maintain the service from Monday to Saturday without forcing all workers to adjust their normal schedules. However, both Urbaser and the Lanzarote Cabildo have reportedly rejected the proposal to keep the existing five-day work pattern.
Salary issues add to the tension, with CCOO asserting that employee wages have been frozen since 2024. They estimate that a driver earns around €1,250 net per month, while a labourer receives roughly €1,014, figures provided by the union.
The union also criticises the wording of Article 9 of the agreement, claiming it contains ambiguous terms that could lead to misinterpretations regarding payment of certain amounts.
In response to these issues, workers held an assembly with the Cabildo present, proposing to eliminate unclear expressions in the agreement for better clarity. Despite this, CCOO insists the problematic clauses remain unchanged.
As a result, workers have agreed to begin mobilising, starting with protests. They also plan to raise awareness about perceived deficiencies in the service and potential breaches of duty by Urbaser and the Cabildo.
Should no agreement be reached soon, the workers have warned they will escalate to a strike. CCOO is calling on Urbaser and the Cabildo to resume talks and clarify the terms of working hours and pay.
