Wednesday is the eighth and final day of strike for the staff of residences and day centres in Bizkaia. With the help of the ELA trade union, an eight-day strike began on 1 February, with the demonstration from the headquarters of the Government of Bilbao to the Provincial Council of Bizkaia, with the participation of more than 400 people. During the strike period, several mobilizations have been carried out, bringing to the streets their demands; the improvement of working conditions and the radical change of the care model offered in the centers are the main demands, among which the concrete requirements are framed: the reduction of ratios to improve the care of the residents, the reduction of partial days and the recovery of purchasing power, among others.

In addition to these requirements, they have denounced that since the beginning of the year, residential addresses have been transmitting false information to the families of residents. The letters sent to them speak of tariff increases, and explain that the price increase between 6.5% and 10% reflects the cost increase, placing wage increases within these costs. Negotiation of the agreement has also been among the causes of the increase in the rate. It is reported that this information is not true, indicating that their wages have been frozen for more than two and a half years. They denounce that the increase in prices being applied only benefits the company "at the cost of making the quality of service and working conditions more precarious".

On Tuesday, a tent was placed in front of the Provincial Council of Bizkaia and in the information sheet distributed to those who went through it clearly describe their situation: "The salaries of many of us work in a sector that does not reach 1,200 euros, working at night, holidays, on Sundays, the shift... Day by day we see how an absolutely insufficient ratio makes it impossible to serve the people we serve". They specify that with current ratios only 60 minutes per day can be devoted to each resident.

They underline the serious shortcomings of the sector and believe that the reason is to put business above people. "Beyond institutional propaganda," they see no desire for change. In this sense, the Provincial Council of Bizkaia has been questioned because it is largely she who pays this "public/private service". "Public money is leaving the portfolio at a very high level, but it does not imply a higher quality of care, more staff and better conditions for the workers we serve residents."

Forecast of more calls for strike

29 strike in the absence of a day to complete the call, and taking into account that "the obstinacy of the employer with the approval of the Deputy", the workers state that they will surely have no choice but to call for more strikes. "He doesn't like to make such decisions in a sector as sensitive as ours. But as companies increase their profits, any worker facing this situation of precariousness and a decline in the quality of care knows that he has no choice but to fight."