The Barcelona drug centre strike has now entered its 44th day. Consequently, workers continue to protest what they describe as discriminatory pay and poor working conditions. Staff from the Lluís Companys drug dependency centre, run by the Red Cross, gathered in Barcelona’s Plaça Sant Jaume on Saturday. Their aim was to highlight this long-running dispute and demand urgent action.
The striking social educators argue that outsourcing has created a two-tier system. Therefore, they face significantly worse terms than colleagues doing identical work elsewhere. They are calling for salary equalisation, official recognition of workplace risks, and better psychological support. In addition, they demand improved legal assistance.
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Barcelona Drug Centre Strike: Dispute Centres on Unequal Contracts
According to striking workers, the core problem lies in their employment contract. Laia Lazaro, a social educator at the centre, explained the issue. She stated that the Lluís Companys facility is the only one in the sector governed by a “social action collective agreement.” Meanwhile, other centres fall under “healthcare collective agreements,” which provide superior pay and conditions.
“We are protesting because the centre where we work, the Red Cross one, is the only one that depends on a social action collective agreement,” Ms Lazaro told the ACN news agency. The strikers’ demands include pay parity with other centres. Furthermore, they seek formal recognition of the risks associated with their work, including provisions for support after workplace violence.
Barcelona Drug Centre Strike: Accusations Against Red Cross and Government
The workers accuse the Red Cross of creating precarious conditions. They claim the organisation has remained “absolutely immovable” despite repeated complaints. Protesters held banners with slogans such as “Vocation is not exploitation” and “Dignified work.” These drew attention to their protracted industrial action. This action follows the recent Barcelona council workers’ protest, which also highlighted stalled negotiations.
Criticism was also directed at the Catalan government’s Department of Health, which outsources the service. Marina Tort, another social educator, argued that the department is aware of the inequality but has failed to intervene. “It is true that the Red Cross carries out labour discrimination against us, but the Generalitat [Catalan government] allows it,” she said in a report on the protest. For more on labour disputes, see the UK government’s guidance on industrial action.
Impact of the Barcelona Drug Centre Strike
The educators described the nearly month-and-a-half-long strike as emotionally and physically taxing. However, they feel it is their only remaining tool to force change. They highlight that their working conditions are not dignified. Ms Tort also stressed that the situation ultimately affects the vulnerable people they support.
“They are people with life stories and many experiences of violence,” she explained. “Our movement also defends these people and their dignity; we fight so that they have a better quality of life.”
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