No 508
Monday, 24th February, 2014
Tel: 96 673 0057
DEMANDS TO PROTECT TORREVIEJA SALINAS
The Izquierda Unida group of Torrevieja is demanding that the ruling PP government provide an immediate solution to the lack of staff in the Natural Park of Torrevieja and La Mata, and have criticised the mayor, Eduardo Dolón, for not defending the environmental heritage of the village. Meanwhile, Víctor Ferrández, local coordinator of Izquierda Unida, says that as the chairman of the Governing Board of the Natural Park of Las Lagunas de Torrevieja and La Mata, Dolón is “obligated” to defend the environmental areas against the actions of the ministry, and the “scarce assets” that decades of over spending and neglect by the Partido Popular has resulted in. The previous operator, VAERSA, filed for redundancy of its workers in 2012, intent on the redundancy of some 400 workers, later to settle for 300, mostly technicians working
on the management of the protected natural spaces of the community. However, through a series of failed talks and negotiations, involving the current Valencia councillor for infrastructure, planning and the environment, Isabel Bonig, the Supreme Court annulled the redundancy move, but the public company refused to comply with the judgment and appealed for the cessation of proceedings currently pending ratification, as this would force the company to pay the salaries of workers from the date of dismissal until today, in addition to reinstating the dismissed workers. In Torrevieja, these cuts have resulted in the dismissal of three of the four technicians who operated in the area of the Salinas, one of whom was a guide, another a biologist and the third an expert in environmental sciences, which has led to the closure of the visitor centre on various days, and leads to a lack of environmental monitoring and attention to the visitors of the Natural Park, as well as the consequential increase in the risk of fire and damage the park. Continued on Page 2