Just before the Hogueras celebrations, the City Council and the Alicante Fire Department negotiated a deal to suppress the protests that the fire department had threatened to start during the festivities. The municipal government has agreed to make several modifications to salary, working hours, and staff, allowing workers’ representatives to agree not to initiate a strike.
Specifically, at a meeting of the Negotiating Committee (which includes unions and political organisations represented on the City Council), the new public employment offer for the force in 2025 was approved, which contains five firefighters and three corporals. It was also agreed to make up the gap in holiday allowance between the service and other City Council departments. The SEP (Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party) abstained, while the CCOO (Working Workers’ Union) and UGT (General Workers’ Union) rejected the increase (of approximately 6 euros per non-working day) because the local government refused to accept it retroactively.
Similarly, the meeting resolved to establish a pool to fill vacancies in 2026, avoiding days when the Fire Department has less people than the specified minimum. The meeting also agreed to establish specialised legislation for the specialities of diving, drones, and rescues.
The protest has ended
Nonetheless, the workers’ representatives were pleased with the agreements and appreciated the municipal government’s readiness to meet the firefighters’ demands. “It’s proof that when you want something, you can do it,” some meeting attendees said afterward.
For these reasons, the Alicante Fire Department has agreed to halt the protests that they had planned to stage in recent months, which typically occur every year at Hogueras’ gates and may have jeopardised the Cremà celebration.
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