The lack of staff remains one of the main ones concerns of the penitentiary centera situation shared by both the management and the workers’ representatives. Both parties agree that the workforce should reach 80 agents to adequately respond to the needs of the service, especially in the face of a future expansion of the facilities. Currently, the corps has 66 members i has a competition underway to incorporate five more. The call, however, has not had the expected reception, since only three applicants have presented themselves, according to sources from the Andorran Penitentiary Union (SPA) at diary. Therefore, even if they all passed the selection process, not all the planned places would be filled.
The SPA asks to reconsider why the profession does not attract new professionals
Low participation has reopened the debate on the necessary conditions to make the profession more attractive and facilitate the recruitment of new workers. from theSPA consider that it would be necessary to study measures that went beyond remunerationan area in which they recognize that “Efforts have already been made during the legislature“. The union understands that improving other aspects of working conditions could contribute to increasing interest in future calls. To this need is added the center expansion projectwhich would require more professionals to guarantee the operation of the new branches. “If they want to do things right, more staff will be needed”, warn the union sources, who demand that staffing needs be taken into account when planning future installations.
The tensions with the management and the Government have decreased in recent months
With regard to labor relations, the union assures that the discrepancies with the Government and management persist, but that the situation has not deteriorated. theSPA broke off relations with theexecutive last year and the contact with the Minister of Justice and Interior, Ester Molnéremains scarce, they acknowledge. Despite this distance, they value that the measures of prison shock plan and the improvements to the conditions of the special forces they have helped maintain a certain balance and avoided an aggravation of the conflict. The main reproach to the ministry continues to be the “lack of planning” which, according to the workers’ representatives, has marked some decisions. Disagreements have also occurred with the center’s management, although they place them on specific and minor internal issues.
