The dismissal of 24 labor technicians linked to the Community of Madrid, as exclusively published by this media outlet, has opened a new judicial front for the regional government presided over by Isabel Díaz Ayuso. The affected workers have already filed several lawsuits in different courts, considering that the decision violates European regulations on the use of temporary employment in the public sector.
It concerns employees with a long career in the administration, in some cases close to 30 years, who performed functions related to the management and liquidation of regional taxes.
The case occurs in a particularly sensitive context regarding public employment. European legislation, and in particular Directive 1999/70/EC, obliges States to prevent the abuse of temporary contracting and to establish effective measures to correct it.
In this regard, recent positions from the environment of the Court of Justice of the European Union have questioned the figure of the “indefinite non-permanent”, considering that it does not guarantee real protection against that abuse.
According to those affected, the decision of the Community of Madrid to proceed with the dismissal instead of applying stabilization measures contravenes that criterion.
The 24 dismissed workers belonged to the Ministry of Employment, Economy and Finance and performed technical tasks linked to tax management.
The majority of them are women over 50 years old, a profile that, according to what they report, finds itself in an especially vulnerable situation after the loss of employment.
The affected maintain that they were not offered employment alternatives within the administration.
After the dismissal, the workers have opted for the judicial route. The lawsuits have already been filed in different courts in Madrid, where it will be analyzed whether the decision conforms to law.
The process could be prolonged for months and will depend, in part, on the interpretation that the courts make regarding the application of European regulations in this specific case.
One of the points of conflict is the solution proposed by the administration: participation in selective processes.
The affected consider that this option does not compensate for the situation generated, nor does it respond to European demands in terms of labor stability.
From their perspective, the call for public examinations does not correct the underlying problem related to prolonged temporality.
The dismissed technicians performed key functions in the management of regional taxes, including operations such as inheritances, sales, or donations.
According to the testimonies collected, the departure of these professionals has had an immediate impact on citizen service, reducing activity in some offices.
Part of the service has been derived to other structures, while some positions have not yet been covered.
Another of the relevant aspects of the case is the economic impact.
In case that the courts rule in favor of the workers, the compensations derived from the dismissals must be assumed with public funds.
To this could be added judicial costs or other economic consequences, depending on the development of the process.
This conflict is framed within a broader debate on temporality in public employment in Spain.
In recent years, different European resolutions have called into question the measures adopted to correct this situation, which has generated legal uncertainty in different administrations.
The case of these 24 workers could become a new precedent, depending on what the courts determine.
