The government announced on 19 June that it agreed that "public workers can continue teleworking even if the state of alarm is over". But it's not true.

The measures agreed by the Basque Government with CCOO and UGT (trade union minority) do not affect “public employees”, but a small proportion of public employees with an impact directa.La expansion of teleworking excludes nearly 98% of the public employees directly responsible for the Basque Government.

Over 80,000 employees work under the orders of the Basque Government (excluding thousands and thousands of subcontracted workers). Of these, about 7,300 are employees of the General Administration staff. A maximum of one quarter of the latter are affected by measures agreed in the minority, namely: Staff classified as especially “vulnerable” due to the COVID-19 crisis, care for children under 14 years of age, care for dependent elderly and 202 workers authorized to work in Telework. It's over.

The right motto would therefore be: “The Basque Government has given less than 2% of its public employees the opportunity to reconcile, through teleworking, care and work.”

On the other hand, Vice-Advisor Zearreta pointed out that “in this situation the position of some trade union centres is not understood. … the administration has to offer the best possible service… We will continue to work so that the administration is always close to the citizens, collaborating in this situation. We call for the same commitment to all trade union bodies represented at the Sectoral Bureau…”

We are accustomed to the exits of the heads of the Department of Governance. The Department of Governance, the Basque Government, has given us contempt for trade unions (all) and workers since the beginning of this crisis (and since before). He did not want to join us. The Secretary General of the Public Services of ELA has sent letters to Andrés Zearreta inviting him to collaborate in this difficult situation and to convene the General Bureau of the Public Service. The Vice-Advisor, however, did not reply to the invitations and did not hold a call from the General Bureau of the Civil Service (at least that of Navarra, it met twice). He has not provided us with information. He has not even responded to our proposals… At the last minute he has called for a much more limited meeting (at the sectoral table) to justify its rigidity to society and its poor management, proposing a very inadequate agreement.

The manipulation of Vice-Advisor Zearreta and the Basque Government is not new

With the help of the main media, our authorities often spread an image that has little to do with the reality of public employees and public services.

In this crisis all the costumes have been removed and shamelessly lied. It is so obvious that on 12 May, in the midst of a crisis, all the trade unions represented at the CAPV General Administration Sectoral Bureau (ELA, LAB, CCOO and UGT) transferred to Zearreta a public letter in which we demand that it stop telling lies and denounce that they have no negotiating will.

A few days ago we had to ask Lehendakari Urkullu himself not to mine!

Interestingly, neither of us has answered…

ELA will continue to work to ensure that the public administration, which is of all and all, is always at the service of all citizens. We call for the same commitment, and a little honesty, to the heads of the Department of Governance and the Basque Government in general.

*ELA GIZALAN