Justice administration unions have reached an agreement with the Ministry of Justice, overseen by Félix Bolaños, to address the sweltering conditions inside the National Court located on Calle Génova. The extreme heat, with temperatures exceeding 32 degrees Celsius, stems from a malfunctioning air conditioning system affecting two floors of the building.
Union representatives have informed Europa Press that a range of measures has been proposed to the Ministry’s management. This management has shown willingness to cooperate and indicated that the matter would be escalated to the National Court for implementation.
Among the suggestions from the unions is the implementation of alternating work shifts that combine both remote and in-office work. They have also recommended that during heat waves, mandatory in-person attendance should only be required until 1:00 PM.
To facilitate these measures, the unions are demanding an increase in technical resources to support remote work. Additionally, they are advocating for accessibility to the sixth and tenth floors to enable some staff to work in-office when necessary.
The unions have warned that if their requests are not met, they plan to organize protests next Wednesday until the situation is resolved. Notably, a climate control company is scheduled to assess the air conditioning system at the National Court on Monday and Tuesday.
On the same Wednesday, National Court officials gathered outside the building to protest against the unbearable temperatures in their work environment. Javier Hernández, the national coordinator for the Justice sector at Comisiones Obreras (CCOO), highlighted that temperatures have been consistently over 32 degrees for several weeks and emphasized the need for improvements in the air conditioning system, which should be set to a maximum of 27 degrees.
Just last Monday, it was reported that the CCOO union filed a complaint with the Labor Inspection asserting that temperatures on the second and fifth floors have been “above 30 degrees” for weeks. The complaint, which has been submitted against several departments including the Ministry of Justice and its General Directorate, notes that staff have been raising this urgent issue for over a month, but without meaningful responses.
As high temperatures are expected to soar into the 40s during the upcoming week, the urgency for a solution has increased, especially considering that Madrid reached 39 degrees recently.
Among those affected are pregnant women, who are particularly vulnerable to heat-related health risks. The CCOO complaint included data on recorded temperatures and mentioned that the affected areas house several criminal law sections and central instruction courts. It stresses that existing health and safety regulations dictate acceptable temperature ranges for office environments.
The complaint also references workers’ rights to leave the workplace if they believe conditions pose imminent risks to their health. Furthermore, if no action is taken, legal representatives of affected workers have the authority to pause operations due to risk exposure.
Given the pressing nature of this situation, the CCOO is urging the Labor Inspection to promptly acknowledge their complaint and conduct an inspection of the second and fifth floors at the National Court as soon as possible.
Image and News Source: https://www.infobae.com/espana/agencias/2024/07/24/sindicatos-y-justicia-pactan-medidas-para-paliar-temperaturas-de-mas-de-32-grados-en-una-sede-de-la-audiencia-nacional/
