Beyond the debate on the new hospital that has recently been fought, the LAB union wants to give priority to the public service: Osakidetza has called for the integration of the Asuncion clinic and the subrogation of its workers.

Secretary of the Federations of Public Services of LAB, Gorka Berasategi, defended the need to set up a public health service in Tolosaldea. "We must put an end to the privatisations and concertations in the health sector". In fact, he has denounced that health workers have been working without protective measures for a long time and that the situation in private spaces has been "even worse".

Yoana Méndez, member of the Tolosa LAB trade union, has recalled that the Basque Government has a historical debt to Tolosaldea, because it is the only CAV region that does not have a public hospital, "they have also imposed a concerted private hospital". He added that he has a historical debt to the 350 workers of Inviza, a company that manages the clinic of the Asunción: "Over the years, workers have been forced to provide the service in other regions, under worse conditions and conditions."

In this regard, LAB has stated that it will continue to "defend" the workers of Inviza through the Basque Government. As explained, 98% of the workers at the Asunción clinic have a permanent contract and have been working on it for more than two years. In addition to the rights of workers, it is intended to guarantee the rights of all citizens of Tolosaldea, taking steps towards a public hospital.

They have also denounced the attitude that Inviza is taking: "With public money, with the money of all citizens, a private hospital has been funded; INVIZA has taken a lot of money that is from the citizens in these years."

Berasategi stressed that in OSI Tolosaldea public money has been used to generate a private profit, and that, no longer to allocate public money to private hands, citizens need a quality public service. "We ask that the money given to Inviza be used to improve health care to end the waste of public money."

Change of attitude

LAB has recalled the steps taken by the PNV in relation to this topic: "In the 2011 elections, two days before the PNV lost the mayor's office, the construction license was granted for the expansion of the Clínica de la Asunción, which was declared illegal."

The Abertzale syndicate has been concerned about the "change of attitude" that Jeltzale training has had in recent times. "He has ignored the requests that had been made to him for years and suddenly, on the eve of the elections, they radically changed their speech and attitude and saw the need to build a public hospital. In our opinion, behind all this is merely political interest," Méndez said.

LAB believes that Tolosaldea should initiate a collective reflection on the health service it needs.

The clinic of the Asunción, which went bankrupt in 1994, has since been managed by Inviza, S.A. Inviza assumed the debt and, to start working, an agreement was reached with the Hacienda de Gipuzkoa, Social Security and Fogasa to pay the debt. Méndez explained that, instead of paying the debt, they created a "complicated" business structure, which "allocates expenses to these companies", and since then "does not make profits or make profits in a reduced way, not paying the debt".

As detailed by LAB economist Uxue Rodrigez, since 1994, Inviza has contracted a debt of 4,094,320 euros with the Hacienda de Gipuzkoa, Social Security and Fogasa. "25 years later, it has only paid 4.33% of the debt and, if it continues, it would have to turn 530 years or more to pay the debt," he said.

According to Rodríguez, the bankruptcy pact states that from the sixth year, 75% of the profits will be destined for payment. However, he explained that in order to reduce profits, he invites a group company, Geusa, to which he subcontracts part of his medical services and, at the same time, pays him the rent of two premises in Belate and Andoain. "Through the group, the money is diverted in order to have less profits and not have to pay the debt," added the President of the Government.

In 2013, Inviza was judged by "a substantial change in working conditions", and Rodríguez has literally transcribed what was ratified in the sentence: "The company's policy may be within the criteria of a group of companies, which explains the losses suffered." In that year, Inviza proposed to the workers a wage reduction "when they saw the contribution of the Basque Government reduced", and Méndez clarifies that the matter was transferred to the courts and resolved in favour of the workers.

The economist has stressed that if the group's money had not been diverted to this day, the debt could be paid. "Privatization costs us a lot; 95% of Inviza's revenue comes from the Basque Government, it's about 21 million a year, and almost no debts or taxes are accepted because the goal is to have losses," he explained.

In addition, Rodríguez has recalled that companies for the promotion of companies such as Inviza were left unlegalized in 2012, so that "fraud continues and continues to exist".

In addition, they have denounced that Inviza "has not fulfilled its obligations", as it "has not presented the 2019 economic accounts in the commercial register; it has been the only company that has not done so".