The LAB trade union has denounced that "the health of workers has not been at the center of political measures since the state of alarm was decreed". Councillor Arantza Tapia praised the success of the Reactivation Guide but the union considered it "a failure".

For this purpose, Eulate Zilonizaurrekoetxea, Secretary of the Industrial Federation of LAB, has provided the following data: "The LAB syndicate has received 160 Action Plans against COVID-19, when there are about 5,200 industrial and construction companies in the CAV. Of these, 11% have received recognition from our technicians, taking into account only the characteristics that the Basque Government listed in its Guide. Another 20% needs some sort of correction or improvement, and that's what we're communicating to companies. The rest are unacceptable, either because they are insufficient (34 per cent) or because in many cases the measures of the Spanish Government Guide and/or the Basque Government (35 per cent) have been reproduced. In other words, they are general advice, not adapted to the needs and reality of each workplace. So they do not serve at all.

Worse situation for SMEs

The LAB leader pointed out that "the measures being taken in companies have not been the result of this Guide, the data show this clearly, but the result of the impact capacity of workers in companies. As a result of this commitment and struggle, despite the fact that in many companies there are no plans, measures are being taken against COVID19, but especially in large companies. But there is a problem in small and medium-sized enterprises, which have no plan or measure (or are totally inadequate)."

"The problem is even more serious in companies where there is no trade union representation, workers are completely abandoned", said the union, which said: 65% of CAV companies do not have trade union representation, "and the vast majority are small businesses". The Basque Government had asked them last week for contacts to negotiate the Plan in non-representative companies, but "no unrepresented company has requested the negotiation of the Prevention Plan". What's going on in all those companies that don't have representation or COVID-19 Plan? ".

Need for further audits

The trade union considers that inspection work is not sufficient: "How many Administration technicians have followed or monitored the employment situation of workers? How many reports or studies have been carried out? ". He adds that reporting is not effective: "Complaint mechanisms do not respond, they are delayed and, when they are in place, they are written resolutions in which what happens in companies is not observed at first hand. Osalan has received allegations of ill-treatment, but the problem remains unresolved and no complaints are ruled out. To whom and what do we have to denounce if this is a conclusion? ".

Request further inspection work: "It's not an inspector's problem, it's a political decision. How many ex officio actions have existed since the declaration of the state of emergency? We have said time and again that more Labour Inspectorate and Osalan staff are needed, because while workers are in workplaces, inspectors have only one telephone link." Add: "In these days when we see our streets full of police of all colors, we don't have inspection officials, neither from Osalan, nor from the government doing inspections in companies to ensure the health of workers."

LAB calls for data to be made public and sanctions imposed on companies

"How many anti-Covid19 plans are there in Bizkaia, Álava and Gipuzkoa? How many inspectors are active in each country? ". The union has called for all these data to be made public through a press release. And it has asked for conclusions for companies that do not approve the Plans: "Let the government state clearly what measures and what sanctions there will be for companies that do not have dignified and comprehensive plans against COVID-19. Also for companies that don't have Plan yet, even though they've worked the days."

The following explanations and specific requests from LAB to the Basque Government are shown in video: