CCOO y educadores sociales denuncian precariedad e inseguridad tras asesinato en Badajoz

Around 70 people participated this Friday in Santander in the rally organized by the Federation of Teaching of Comisiones Obreras (CCOO) and the Professional College of Social Education of Cantabria (Copescan) to mourn the murder of their colleague in Badajoz and to also denounce «precariousness» and «insecurity» in centers in the region and throughout the country.

«This death occurred due to the negligence of companies and foundations but also of the Administration, which is the one that must enforce compliance with the contracting terms and not precarize the conditions,» they pointed out from the union and the professional entity.

Among the «deficiencies and difficulties» they have highlighted are the lack of personnel, night shifts or weekends with only one person working, non-hiring of specialized personnel -such as professionals in social education- or non-compliance with established ratios, as well as the «huge difference» between the conditions in public and privately funded centers.

They have also criticized the lack of response to meeting requests made «long before this tragic event» to the Minister of Social Inclusion, Begoña Gómez del Río, and the director of the Cantabrian Institute of Social Services (ICASS), Carmen Arce, to address the problems and difficulties of these workers.

During the protest, held on Castelar Street, in front of the Ministry that also manages Youth, Families, and Equality, spokespersons from CCOO and Copescan expressed their condolences to the family of Belén Cortés, the social educator who died last Sunday allegedly at the hands of the minors she assisted in a supervised apartment in Badajoz.

ADMINISTRATION’S FAULT

The secretary of the Federation of Teaching of Comisiones Obreras, Conchi López, stated that this death was «due to the negligence of companies, foundations, and administration,» since the latter must enforce contracts, and hopes that what happened will serve to raise awareness and mobilize to address the «many problems» of a «dark and opaque» sector.

On her part, the president of Copescan, Irene Maestro, emphasized that they demand more social educators and psychologists, as well as an increase in positions and categorization of the thirty centers in the region, where she admitted incidents and assaults, although not «serious,» and which are resolved with «very few» complaints.

At this point, she considered that minors cannot be «criminalized,» as many of them have significant socio-family difficulties, others have drug consumption problems, and some are ‘unaccompanied minors’ (UM). However, as the union representative pointed out, they are the minority.

«We do not want to focus on racist discourse but on the negligence of the different administrations,» clarified López, referring to the organization of human resources in companies and lamenting that the councilor of the sector did not receive them after the request made in January to address these problems, which are «political problems.»

REVIEW OF CONTRACT TERMS AND ORDER OF PROFESSIONAL CATEGORIES

Thus, she believes that there needs to be a review of the contract terms and the order that «lowers» the professional categories because -as she argued- the minors in these centers «need» social educators and psychologists, as well as «coordination» with the educational and health administrations.

In line with the above, López pointed out that teachers in public educational centers in the region -where these minors are also enrolled- have «very little training» in the subject, in addition to the absence of «lines or axes of communication» between this council and the social services council.

«If a professional is doing well in their job, that will have an impact on the well-being of the minor,» Maestro summarized, focusing on «the best interest of the child» and wondering «how these minors are going to have reference persons when their working conditions are poor and precarious.»

In this way, the president of Copescan emphasized the need for social educators and specialized personnel: «We cannot say that during the pandemic we were essential personnel and then we are second, third, or fourth-rate professionals,» she concluded.