Prison workers call strike: "We are the only group whose conditions are pending review"

BarcelonaWorkers involved in reintegration in Catalan prisons have announced a strike for Thursday, June 11, as prison sources have explained to ARA. It is the third professional group to have called for stoppages this year, after teachers and healthcare workers. "We are the only group whose working and safety conditions are still pending review," denounced the inter-center committee of the Centre d'Iniciatives per a la Reinserció (CIRE), the public company that employs and trains prisoners.

These workers criticize that they have been left out of the safety and working condition improvements that reached prison officials after an inmate killed cook Núria López, who worked at Mas d'Enric prison employed by CIRE. Finally, what they describe as "two years of sustained discrimination" has led to a call for a strike.

The last straw was the fact that these workers were the only ones in the prison system who have not been recognized as agents of authorityLegal shielding

The last straw was the fact that these workers were the only ones in the prison system not recognized as agents of authority. Many CIRE employees are trainers who teach trades to inmates or work with them in cafeterias and canteens, among other places. Núria López, the cook who was murdered by an inmate in March 2024, also worked for this company. Her nephew, Pablo Martínez, has expressed his support for the workers who have announced the strike and the need to step up security measures: "This exposure to risk that she had in the kitchen means they must be considered in the same way, as agents of authority, with recognition commensurate with the work they do."

The death of this worker triggered improvements in labor and safety, as well as legal recognition as an agent of authority, which have not reached CIRE employees, but have reached workers in the prison system who depend directly on the administration. Not only security guards, but also prison directors, psychologists, educators, lawyers, and social workers have had added legal protection since the beginning of the year.

Now, CIRE workers reproach the management for their refusal to give them the same labor and economic improvements that security guards received after the murder at Mas d'Enric. Thus, they demand "immediate implementation" of the measures contained in that agreement, which they did not benefit from, but also an "urgent" review of workspaces and safety measures. In fact, they warn that an identification of occupational risks and their resolution is still pending. As ARA explained, the security measures agreed upon following Núria López's death took longer to be implemented in the CIRE workshops.