Crane Operators in Córdoba Demand Better Wages and Denounce Labor Breaches
The collective of tower crane operators in the province maintains a strike affecting construction, as the employers' association Construcor and unions CCOO Hábitat and UGT-FICA seek an agreement.
By Rafael Ortega Camacho
••3 min read
IA
Generic image of a construction crane hook against a blue sky.
Córdoba's tower crane operators have escalated their protests, gathering outside Construcor's headquarters to demand salary negotiations and improved working conditions, following over two decades of stagnant wages.
Since February 26, approximately 70 workers in the sector in the province of Córdoba have maintained a strike that has halted construction projects and delayed housing deliveries. This conflict pits the employers' association Construcor (Construction Entrepreneurs of Córdoba) against the unions CCOO Hábitat and UGT-FICA.
The strike, which has seen 100% participation, has been labeled an "abuse" and "blackmail" by the employers. However, crane operators have rallied to demand salary negotiations, warning that Construcor's threat of a lockout could affect "thousands of families" and the entire city.
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"We only ask for dignified conditions. For years we have been hearing that there is a need for labor in construction, and that is precisely why better conditions are needed so that people want to work in construction. We have had our salaries frozen for more than 20 years."
Herencia has also reported that, during the strike, construction companies in Córdoba are replacing crane operators with truck-mounted cranes, a practice that, according to him, violates occupational risk prevention regulations in many cases.
Meanwhile, CCOO has highlighted the importance of tower crane operators for the construction sector and the productive fabric of the province, especially as business margins continue to grow. Raúl Tirado, CCOO representative, has insisted on the need for negotiation, based on labor regulations and the Construction Sector Agreement.
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"We want to sit down and find a solution, because the workers' demands have been lowered to reach an agreement, but the employers have the comfortable position that the general agreement does not allow us to modify the article and they are not lifting a finger to reach a possible agreement. We will continue to pressure for that agreement to be negotiated."
The requested salary increase focuses on the crane operator bonus, currently 13 euros, which they seek to raise. Tirado argues that a 50-euro daily increase in salary would not significantly impact projects, considering companies' profit margins.
Construcor, however, maintains that Article 50 of the state general agreement limits the negotiation of certain increases at the provincial level. The employers' association recalls that last November, an agreement was reached at the Extrajudicial Service for the Resolution of Labor Conflicts of Andalusia (Sercla) to temporarily double this bonus to 25 euros, pending consultation with the state joint commission for the sector.
While Construcor deems the strike "irresponsible," unions defend the legality of their demands, emphasizing the training and responsibility of crane operators. They have pointed out that in provinces like Seville, an agreement has already been reached for a 30-euro bonus, and that Huelva and Cádiz are also beginning to mobilize.
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"It is not legal to agree below the collective bargaining agreement, which is why we want to negotiate a decent bonus. The lockout that Construcor is threatening cannot be done and what they are looking for is to save the salary of those who cannot strike because they are not covered. It will be difficult for there to be a generational replacement if close to 20% of workers are going to retire in the coming years."
