What is your assessment of this accident?

ELA:

The assessment, when we talk about a friend's death, is totally negative. The death of a person who is going to work is not understood. It's very hard for the family, especially.

STAT:

In view of what has happened, the assessment is clear: it has been a hard accident and the consequences are regrettable. From there, we can talk about a thousand things, but Ibai has left us and we believe that the image that Tubacex, as a company, projects outward should also be inward and an example in security tasks.

COO:

The accident has occurred because many circumstances have made it possible. Some are specific and should be analyzed with Osalan, Inspection, Delegates and Prevention Technicians. Other possible reasons are more general, such as the shortage of maintenance staff, the lack of training of new workers or the increase in the company’s strategic production.

Concrete causes are being investigated and the objective reasons that we will have to analyse will be clarified. We will have to analyse the general causes on the part of the unions and demand changes in some company policies so as not to repeat such accidents.

Independent Trade Union:

The assessment we make is that pressure is murderous. The policy established by the management in recent years, together with the unstable prolongation of temporary contracts, has resulted in workers working under pressure.

LAB:

It is known in the Tubacex region. It has always been a strong company in its sector and has been in Aiaraldea for over 60 years. To many people, the first thing that will come to mind when you mention Tubacex is the rental. In schools, students have also been sold that Tubacex has always been a candy. Ibai often referred to this.

Tubacex is currently a multinational. Every minute it has been put at a price and this has led to consequences, particularly in three areas: security, lack of specialisation and one in four workers working without a fixed contract.

They offer little security training to new recruits. The minimum training for the job is often not provided. They want people to be autonomous as soon as possible. This leads many people to take the risk of contenting their superior.

It should be noted that before Tubacex each worker had specific obligations in his/her job. This made it possible to work in safer working conditions. The roles of each worker were written and did not do what was outside their duties. Today, however, with the new direction the situation has changed radically. Anyone can do anything and that has consequences.

The accident was due to specific causes, but the most important thing for us is that there is no accident. We denounce that the company has not taken the appropriate measures and that they are silenced.

Most of the time they are left with the excuse of good luck, but they are too many and cannot be covered. In recent times we all knew that something serious was going to happen, although we didn't know when or who was going to happen to it. The deterioration of the company’s facilities and the conditions we have in the interior are getting worse and worse.

USE:

We have stated publicly on more than one occasion that our assessment is negative, as the prevention system does not work.

The death of a co-worker is one of the most serious consequences, but the accidents that occur are of all kinds. All of them are produced by the high rates of work.

What measures are the trade unions proposing to avoid them? Are mobilisations planned?

ELA:

At the Tubacex Workers Committee we are jointly examining the way to change the preventive culture. Once the workers' requests have been defined, we will inform the management of them. Depending on the results, we will have to learn strategies for the future.

STAT:

In the STAT trade union we have gone a long way towards the situation in our plant before, and of course, after this accident. In our view, the maintenance department is completely destroyed, which has led us to an increasingly worse and dangerous situation in our factory. That needs to be solved immediately with more people. On the other hand, the word electromechanics is being heard more and more, and neither the people nor the managers are willing to do everything, with the technologies and machines that we have in our factories.

People need to be prepared before they take on responsibilities. And finally, we see that the work rhythms have increased, and this, coupled with the first two points, leads us to make our workshops unsafe. So you have to work hard on these three points and whether or not the company likes it, you have to fix these things before and before so that there is no more sinister.

Having said that, and as we read in the town square, we also ask the public institutions to make self-criticism. We often denounce irregular situations which, once the economic sanction is imposed, forget everything. We have therefore appealed from here to the public institutions to monitor the things that are being denounced.

COO:

We will decide on the steps to be taken in the light of the responses to our proposals.

At the moment there is no commitment from all the unions to reach an agreement and make proposals to the company.

Independent trade union

We demand that the level of demand with management clients be the same for workers and that our safety be guaranteed, as it is their most important customer.

The first measure, in order not to align ourselves with the company’s industrial strategy, we have asked the whole workforce not to make overtime, and the unions have proposed several solutions demanding changes in the company’s security policy.

LAB:

Unfortunately, we have to say that the proximity of holidays is against us. Despite being a very serious fact, people will be forgotten as the days go by. It is sad, but it is also a reality. The first measure we proposed was not overtime. Due to the productive pressure, more than 1,000 hours a month are now added in Laudio, for example.

In the meantime, we have extended the debate to draw up a list of specific topics. Next, we will propose to the management a process of negotiation to carry out the demands.

There's only one question to ask the company's managers: Are you able to turn the conditions that you have laid down around you? Although it may seem difficult, the key is in the answer.

USE:

Measures are being assessed in the Works Council to avoid risks that could lead to accidents. We will put concrete measures in the direction.

After presenting our measures, we will see what the direction is going, and on that basis we will take decisions.

Has anything changed in the factory after the accident?

ELA:

At the moment, the situation has not changed. The management has not met with us and we hope that you will come to the prevention meeting.

STAT:

We can't say there have been big changes, but such an accident is always a big blow and leads you to be more careful. The company has not made any changes yet, we have to work to force it.

COO:

We note the changes on the part of the workers, who are more aware of the need for protective measures. No movements have been detected by the company. If you intend to do something to us, you have not told us.

Independent Trade Union:

It is still early to make an assessment, but it is true that there are no changes today. The biggest change, unfortunately, is that we have lost a partner forever.

LAB:

The management of the company seems blind, mute and deaf, because it has not yet met with us. The above miserable conditions are still there, as there have been more accidents since the day of Ibai's death and that will have consequences. The trade union committee has asked the working class to value their rights and to stand on the road leading the way.

USE:

Yes, no doubt. We are all very sensitive to problematic situations. We are receiving more warnings about high-risk situations.

What is the climate of working people now?

ELA:

They are hard times for workers, but they are willing to take steps to change the direction.

STAT:

We are all shattered, in the end Ibai was a young person, with all life ahead and that, if possible, has caused a great deal of sadness among her colleagues. We can say that we have been working during these weeks, but the work environment has been curious.

On the one hand, but on the other, among those of us who represent the workers (I can assure the members of the STAT team), there is also this pressure, as it is time to turn this situation around. We cannot disappoint the workers and we must ensure that our workshops are safe and friendly for all colleagues.

COO:

The workers are excited and the mood has dropped considerably. They also tell us that solutions must be found.

Independent Trade Union:

The environment is a little scrambled. As a result of this unfortunate event, we hope that you will be aware of where we are working or of the risks we have every day in the jobs, forcing us to Tubacex’s management among all our colleagues to take our lives seriously.

LAB:

It hasn't changed much, Ibai's death is very much cerca.Se has revealed the workers' discrepancy with management and their policies, but that already existed before and that was, for example, one of the conflicts in the negotiation of the convention.

USE:

There is a need to change the direction of the company and to strengthen its prevention. We all have to make the company safer and more accountable to all workers. We cannot accept another accident. All of us who work as a team have the competence to advise whether a situation can lead to risk or accident. And of course, for the company to fix it right away, so we think we need to change prevention.