The Unitary Collective Workers Union (CUT) said Tuesday that the urban bus service in Saragossa It has been seriously affected in the previous day by the high number of damaged vehicles. According to their data, 45 buses have had to be removed to garages, not counting those who have suffered incidents on the way.
“This has meant 20% of the usual fleet out of service, which has caused an increase in waiting times and greater agglomerations, even more with summer cuts,” they said. The CUT has accused Avanza Zaragoza of “not remedying” this situation and has argued that “the workshop does not supply”, while the City Council “looks the other way” despite knowing the problem.
The union organization has also denounced the “exorbitant realization” of overtime and days above the legal limits. He recalled that the Workers’ Statute establishes that extra hours are voluntary and that the collective agreement sets a maximum day of 8 hours and 19 minutes, currently in negotiation to adapt it to the reduction of the day approved by the Government. “However, the company has forced some drivers to overcome 12 hours a day, which has put at risk of occupational health and road safety,” said the CUT.
In relation to the lack of workforce, the union has assured that “many new incorporation drivers have abandoned before consolidating their position for the pressure to work on their rest days and perform extra hours.” He added that, in a job “already stressful”, family conciliation and rest “have been in the background.”
The CUT has also linked the work overload to the “low maintenance” of the fleet, which, as it has explained, has caused lower labor and has forced active drivers to cover the service with less available buses. The organization has accused Avanza Zaragoza not digitally registering the workday, which, has assured, has allowed the company to leave without paying about 40,000 overtime per year and saving the corresponding social security contribution.
The union has affirmed that it has put this data in knowledge of both the Zaragoza City Council as of the Labor Inspection. “Neither the Consistory has audited nor forced to meet the agreed conditions, nor the inspection has sanctioned with the necessary firmness to a company that has violated repeatedly,” they said. The CUT has insisted that the situation is “unsustainable” and has warned that, if not solving, it could lead to a serious problem for the safety of workers and users.
