Mason Jones (Reporter)
A SPANISH workers association has accused the Gibraltar government of acting in a ‘discriminatory’ manner towards Spaniards.
Citypeg has accused the Employment Minister, Joe Bossano, of trying to replace Spanish nationals with Gibraltarians in the public sector and the construction industry.
Francisco Ponce, President of Citypeg, claims that the government is achieving this by only offering 11-month contracts which will not be renewed once expired.
A total of 500 Spanish workers have lost their jobs since last January in Gibraltar, many from the construction sector.
“It is disturbing, with over ten years of service to these companies, only the Spanish have their contracts terminated while local workers have been transferred to other construction companies.” Ponce said.
Not true, in fact the two main groups who represent Spanish workers on the Rock have come out publicly on TV Andalucia saying that what Citipeg is stating is untrue, as has the Government of Gibraltar.
“http://www.chronicle.gi/headlines_details.php?id=25819”
Inthename, I have read your linked article.
Citipeg (Circulo de Trabajadores y Pensionistas y Españoles en Gibraltar” = Circle of workers and pensioners and Spanish in Gibraltar”
There is nothing in your linked article that says that Citipeg is not one of the the two main groups who represent Spanish workers on the Rock. The only thing that confirms what you claim is the statement by the Gibraltarian government.
I´m not saying that Citipeg is either right or wrong, but your link doesn´t support what you claim.
@Tony Bishop,
You would have had to have been watching Canal Sur Television Espanola to have seen the two leaders of the two main groups on Friday lunchtime deny what Citipeg was saying. I am unable to provide a link to the newsbroadcast. One of the groups name is ASCTEG, I cannot remember the name of the other group. But you can find ASCTEG in the yellow pages. Their premises are in La Linea. Ask them if you dont want to believe me. You can also find their number is on their site online. Up to you. What would I gain by not saying the truth.
@Inthename. I didn´t say you weren´t telling the truth. What I said was that your linked article didn´t support what you claim. I stick by that.
@ Tony Bishop
I appreciate that is what you said, which is tantamount to saying that you couldnt take my word for it, and I wouldnt either if not provided with published facts, or the very least trying to find both sides of the story, but, however much I try sometimes,unfortunately, I cannot always provide a link to what I write, but if you can read spanish look for the gibraltarlibre blog..might clarify things. Might also help clarify why Citipeg has found it appropriate to re-issue a press release it had already pubished earlier this year.
There is a saying in Spanish which goes like this “las mentiras tienen las patas muy cortas” Meaning literally “Lies have very short legs” Liars will always get caught out sooner rather than later.
@Inthename. I have not said that I cannot take your word for it. I said what I said, no more, no less
However, you said that the article is “not true” (your words). So what is a reader supposed to believe? Your version or that of the Olive Press?
Inthename
Se coje antes a un mentiroso que a un cojo este es el refrán.
@ Tony Bishop
well unless they have contrasted the article with the Gibraltar Government,which they dont seem to have done yet, who would you believe HM Government of Gibraltar or the sender of the press release? Your call. I know who I believe, I have not asked you to believe what I have said, up to you.
@Inthename. I suggest that you read my posts because you do not seem to have read of my posts so far. End of my contributions to this thread.
Brujo its not is politically correct to say that. That is why I used the alternative proverb referring to the fact that I dont tell lies, aint worth it.
Tony Bishop, I have, but, respectully, its you who seems not to have read mine or understood what I was saying. But never mind, I’m cool.
Citipeg or its representative whichever is the largest entity is making very serious allegations against the Gibraltar Government.
There is one government company JBS with a specific number of full time workers who do upkeep work on estates and so on.. When the job in hand is larger that the number of full time workers can take on, like construction of flats, airports, tunnels and so on, this Govt owned company contracts out. These contractors then contract their own workers for the job. The contracted company can contract from any EU nationality as piece work. Once the work is done, the government full time employees go back and carry on with upkeep and the contracted contractor lays their piece work workers off. Name of the game. These contracted companies employ Gibraltarians and British workers too, its not as if Spaniards are being singled out when the construction work is finished, they too find themselves without a job.
Gibraltar cannot afford to have a huge building company with thousands of workers sitting idly on their hands waiting for some work to materialise, be they locals or foreigners. If Spain were able to do that herself, then the unemployment figures wouldnt be what they are today, some may remember the burst of the construction bubble.
Its not political its good housekeeping.
There will be more construction work to be had soon, the minute the government recommences works on the tunnel, as there will be when a new housing estate which is being envisaged start construction hopefully.
The men who are again contracted will become unemployed again once the job ends. Will those names be added to the “500”?
It’s all about perception.
Have a good evening.
Inthename
Bueno,pero tampoco se podrá usar “matar dos pajaros de un tiro” por los ecologistas y creo que lo usan inglés.Pero vamos da igual.
Glad to see The Olive Press has not reported Mr Nick Cruz as “Opposition politician”, as has been done by MSN, CNBC and probably others as well (in respect of this story).
He is a member of a Gibraltar party. But that party has never received enough votes in an election to enter government or, indeed, to enter as the opposition.
Well done Olive Press, you obviously make a bigger effort than other so-called journalists.
Here you are Tony Bishop. Better late than never. “ASCTEG says Citipeg has lied about the Gibraltar Government discrimating against Spaniards where access jobs are concerned” in print and full colour.
“http://www.lalineadigital.es/2012/08/ascteg-asegura-que-citipeg-mintio-en-el-caso-de-los-despidos-masivos-de-linenses-en-gibraltar/”
discriminating
They could all become fishermen,
Sad and boring that most of the comments have nothing to do with the topic but are just an irrelevant argument. Of course Gibraltar places the interests of its own people first – it is not Gibraltar’s fault that Spain ignored all the warnings about an imminent property crash and sailed on into disaster. As always, it is the “little guy” who suffers, in this case the unemployed building workers, but Gib doesn’t owe them a living.