The labor dispute involving forest firefighters in the Community of Madrid has now extended beyond a year, with no signs of improvement in their working conditions. The strike committee has stated that TRAGSA, the public company in charge, refuses to negotiate, thereby violating the Basic Law for Forest Firefighters and infringing upon fundamental rights such as freedom of association and the right to strike.
“"From the committee, we also denounce the attitude of the Community of Madrid, the service owner, which is not exerting any pressure on TRAGSA and continues to act as if this conflict does not concern it."
The situation is worsened by the inaction of the Community of Madrid, which the strike committee accuses of failing to pressure TRAGSA and disengaging from the conflict. They have pointed out that the director of Emergencies has not agreed to meet with them, despite repeated requests over more than three months. This lack of institutional dialogue jeopardizes public safety and environmental protection, especially with summer approaching.
Forest firefighters, who earn approximately 1,300 euros monthly, perform essential tasks such as extinguishing fires, carrying out winter prevention work, and responding to climate emergencies. However, this winter has seen a 50% reduction in preventive work, which, coupled with a decrease in personnel (from 530 to 420 active members), raises significant concerns. Furthermore, TRAGSA has yet to implement a protection plan against carcinogenic agents, a legal obligation that the Labor Inspectorate has already required both the company and the Community of Madrid to address.
The onset of summer, with increased vegetation fuel due to recent rains, intensifies the severity of this scenario. The strike committee demands immediate negotiation from TRAGSA and urges the Community of Madrid to take responsibility and stop ignoring a conflict that directly impacts the operational capacity of the emergency response system.
