Telefónica workers on hunger strike against
corporate injustice
Barcelona,
Spain
12th
November 2012
We, five Telefónica workers have
started a sine-die hunger strike on the 5th
of November to protest against the injustice that the powerful
transnational corporation has committed against one of its employees.
The protest is supported by the two combative union organizations -
Cobas
and En Construcció
- and the workers’ platform Sí,
soy rentable.
Marcos
Andrés was dismissed by Telefónica on February 2011, along with
Mari Cruz, because they had been under sick leave for what the
corporation considered to be too long, even when it was certified by
Social Security doctors. The company sacked the workers telling them
“they were not profitable”. However, in the same month, and in
the midst of the crisis, the company paid out record
dividend to their shareholders. Although precise shareholding
structure cannot be known, certain
shareholders hold stakes that may be considered significant:
BBVA,
La
Caixa and Blackrock, Inc.
Mari
Cruz dismissal was declared unfair and wrongful by the Court. Marcos
dismissal was declared as null and void by the court on grounds of
breach of fundamental rights, as the worker was involved in trade
union activity. The company had to reinstate the workers, but
Telefónica was not satisfied and appealed against the Court’s
decision. The second Court declared the dismissal wrongful and
unfair. However it did not find enough evidence of fundamental rights
breach, and. According to the Spanish Labor laws, even if the Court
declares the dismissal unfair and wrongful, they let the Company to
decide about the worker’s right to be reinstated. Mari Cruz refused
to keep fighting for her job. But Marcos wants to keep fighting for
his rights.
Marcos’
dismissal was executed in the context of 2011 collective bargaining.
The company wanted to reach an agreement with the main Trade Unions
to lay off 20% of their workforce in Spain. The agreement was
reached, and more than 6000 workers will leave their job to go on
voluntarily early retirement. In return, the Trade Unions tried by
all means to convince Telefónica to reinstate Marcos, unfairly
dismissed from work after 24 years of loyal service.
Out
of indignation at the unfairness shown by the corporation, we have
decided to go on a hunger strike to make Telefónica reconsider its
decision and reinstate Marcos. We want Telefónica to acknowledge
that, we, their labor force are human beings with the corresponding
human rights.
We
consider Marcos’ dismissal part of Telefónica neoliberal labor
strategy. Since the company was privatized in 1997, Telefónica has
destroyed about 50.000 decent jobs. During the years of economic
prosperity the company could have met their social responsibility and
create decent jobs. However, Telefónica preferred to cut costs on
workforce in order to pay generous dividends to investors. The
company has created more than 100.000 precarious and poorly paid jobs
through outsourcing.
With
this hunger strike we want to rise up against corporate injustice. We
ask you to help us break the media silence that the powerful
corporation manages to impose in Spain.
Contact
information:
Mail
to: huelgahambretelefonica@gmail.com
Twitter:
@HHTelefonica
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