Opposition Parties in Tuineje Defend Municipal Workers Against Proposed Motion
Opposition groups in Tuineje—Popular Party (PP), Municipal Assemblies of Fuerteventura (AMF), and New Canarias (NC)—have publicly urged the Canarian Coalition to reconsider a motion set for the next council meeting on 21st July. They argue it unfairly blames municipal employees for delays in invoice payments and suggests potential criminal behaviour.
The PP, AMF, and NC contend that the motion lacks legal foundation and deflects political accountability from the municipal government onto council staff. They emphasise that municipal workers are not responsible for the issues at hand.
The opposition’s spokespersons stated, “Municipal workers cannot be made scapegoats for the administration’s failure.” They assert that the mayor is ultimately responsible for managing the municipality.
Additionally, they criticise the use of a council meeting to remind staff of their roles, arguing this is not within the meeting’s purpose.
The opposition also questions why the mayor is bringing decisions—such as suspending remote work and altering budget allocations—to the council, claiming he should act on his own authority. They suggest that seeking council approval for these matters indicates a troubling lack of leadership.
There are concerns some actions taken by the mayor could be legally void, including designating a municipal worker to oversee procedures that he should direct.
Opposition leaders accuse the Canarian Coalition of attempting to shift responsibility for unpaid invoices to municipal staff, when this duty lies solely with the ruling party. It’s notable that this motion has not secured support from their coalition partner, the Socialist Party.
In response, PP, AMF, and NC plan to propose a joint emergency motion aimed at providing a legal and effective solution to clear outstanding invoices, which currently exceed €4.5 million. This backlog primarily impacts freelancers, small businesses, and medium-sized enterprises who have suffered financially for months.
Their proposed measures include prioritising the immediate processing of pending invoices, expediting necessary administrative procedures, creating a special payment plan to settle debts with suppliers, and reporting monthly to the council on payment progress.
The opposition concludes that while the Canarian Coalition seeks to assign blame, they offer a serious and effective solution to the crisis affecting both suppliers and municipal operations. They state that the council requires political accountability and effective management of public resources to ensure timely payments to service providers, while respecting municipal workers’ rights.
