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News > Ecuador

Ecuadoreans Protest Against Massive Layoffs in Public Sector

  • “Around 10,000 public workers were fired”, said Osumtramsa's General Secretary.

    “Around 10,000 public workers were fired”, said Osumtramsa's General Secretary. | Photo: teleSUR

Published 6 March 2019
Opinion

"For us, this is an attack against  public health," as diseases can spread "due to this infraction against Ecuadorean citizenship."

During a press conference on Wednesday, several unions of Ecuador headed by the National Union Organization of Workers of the Ministry of Health (Osuntramsa), rejected the massive layoffs in the public sector perpetrated by the Ecuadorean government, mainly in the health sector.

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According to the union, these layoffs violate the rights of workers and citizens. On Friday, March 1, epidemiological fences should have been made, to prevent diseases related to the winter season in Ecuador, however, after the layoffs these works had to be postponed because an important part of these were workers from the Health sector, according to the Osuntramsa.

 Osuntramsa stated that around three thousand public workers of the health sector were fired just before the carnival holiday, as reported by teleSUR correspondent Denisse Herrera. These layoffs are "a violation of Labor Ministry regulations and the agreements (such as Osuntramsa's) with the Health Ministry ... (this is) an attack against the right to work."

"For us, this is an attack against  public health," as diseases can spread "due to this infraction against Ecuadorean citizenship." Because health workers were not able to generate the "epidemiological fences" as they were fired. "It is not fair that we worked in a hospital for three years and overnight they tell us 'thank you' and don't even give a reason," stated one of the fired workers.

The unionized workers stated that these layoffs are happening because the Ecuadorean government, led by Presiden Lenin Moreno, answers to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) interests.

On the other hand, a group of former employees of the Ministry of Public Health (MPS) protested on Wednesday outside the Government's headquarters in the Guayas province, in Guayaquil, to reject their dismissals.

Unions of the fishing sector joined in to also categorically reject these massive layoffs, arguing that the measures against health workers affect them given the lack of medical personnel in public services in the face of winter diseases.

According to Workers and Unions, in Ecuador between February 27 and March 1, approximately 10,000 public workers (including health personnel) were dismissed nationally. These workers were under contracts of occasional services and commissions for services.

People

Lenin Moreno
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