Case Suspended Pending Lleida Ruling
The Terrassa Labour Court has suspended the first trial of volunteer firefighters suing the Generalitat de Catalunya for improved employment rights. The decision follows a move to await the outcome of a prior collective case filed in Lleida, involving more than 100 claimants, which is scheduled for 20 October 2026. That case could set a precedent for around 450 volunteer firefighters across Catalonia who are pursuing claims through 12 different social courts. They argue they perform the same duties and face the same risks as professional firefighters but lack formal contracts, social security coverage, or proper remuneration.
'This Is Not Volunteering'
Daniel Sitjà, president of Bombers Precaris en Lluita, said:
We pay income tax on our earnings but aren't registered with social security. We're required to complete 860 hours annually, monitored via a mobile app. This isn't volunteering. These are permanent roles filled by volunteers. We earn €10 per hour.
Miquel Mesegué, president of the Federation of Volunteer Firefighter Associations of Catalonia (FBVCat), added:
Today, half the firefighting service depends on volunteers leaving their jobs, families, and risking their health for emergencies. Our situation can't get worse. That's why we're demanding basic rights.
Josep Maria Alcalà, president of ASBOVCA, described the legal delay as a political failure:
The General Directorate of Firefighters promised to improve our conditions, they haven't delivered.
Support Rally Held Outside Court
The five plaintiffs in the Terrassa case are volunteer firefighters from the stations in Viladecavalls and Matadepera. Around 50 colleagues gathered outside the courthouse in solidarity ahead of the scheduled hearing. The broader dispute centres on the status of the active section of the volunteer corps, governed under Decret 8/2015, de 27 de gener, pel qual s'aprova el Reglament del cos de bombers voluntaris de la Generalitat de Catalunya. While these volunteers carry out structured, ongoing duties, they remain classified as non-contracted personnel. Meanwhile, official pay tables for professional firefighters, published by the Generalitat for 2026, detail hourly rates ranging from €25.27 for entry-level firefighters to €37.60 for Inspectors (Generalitat de Catalunya, 2026). In contrast, the €10 hourly compensation received by volunteer firefighters falls significantly below these benchmarks. Volunteer recruitment remains open through official channels such as the ACCIÓ agency’s current call for applications (BV 90/25), despite the unresolved labour dispute.
Primary sources: Generalitat de Catalunya, accio.gencat.cat, portaljuridic.gencat.cat. Reported by canalterrassa.cat, VilaWeb, Canal Terrassa.
