The works committee at the Ajuntament de Manresa, the city council, has rejected the CGT union's claim that it failed to protect municipal employees during orange-level heat alerts. The committee responded on Monday 24 August after CGT said it filed a complaint with the Labour Inspectorate on Wednesday 19 August, alleging that the council had not taken general preventive measures during this summer's high-temperature episodes.

For municipal staff working in schools, civic centres and other council sites, the dispute concerns what measures should be taken when temperatures rise, particularly for outdoor workers and employees with health conditions. CGT also accused the works committee, where Comissions Obreres, known as CCOO, holds the majority, of failing to defend affected staff.

"The health and safety committee began work on temperatures at the beginning of the year," said Fran Expósito, president of the Manresa council works committee.

Expósito said the committee asked the council in May what measures it would take, following the heat experienced last summer. He said delegates had also visited most municipal facilities, including schools and civic centres, in relation to temperature conditions.

According to Expósito, the prevention delegates and the rest of the committee have received two temperature-related complaints during the summer, including one raised by an employee referred to in CGT's statement.

  • CGT said the employee has a large umbilical hernia, is awaiting a surgical appointment and has other chronic illnesses.
  • The union said the employee had requested an adaptation of their post because of the heat.
  • Expósito said the committee answered the complaint and passed it to the employer on the morning it was received.

Expósito said the employee later emailed the committee to acknowledge that prevention delegates had acted correctly. The account of the employee's medical condition and request for an adapted role was made by CGT.

The committee said it handled the complaint under Spain's Occupational Risk Prevention Law, the legal framework cited for dealing with workplace hazards and passing risk concerns to the employer. The council's own occupational-risk prevention materials cover the organisation of prevention, workers' rights and duties, and risk assessment within the Ajuntament.

CGT seeks preventive action during future alerts

CGT said its Labour Inspectorate complaint relates to the council's response to heat alerts issued this summer. It argues that the Ajuntament should adopt general preventive measures for the municipal workforce, rather than responding only to individual cases.

Expósito said the two complaints did not mean that all workplace temperature problems had been resolved, but maintained that the issue required planning and knowledge of conditions at each site. He said the committee's aim was to continue improving staff working conditions and that it had not encountered refusal from the council.

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