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Bolivia mayor threatens layoffs over health strike
🇧🇴 Bolivia /Health & Science

Bolivia mayor threatens layoffs over health strike

From El Deber · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Santa Cruz de la Sierra Mayor Carlos Manuel Saavedra threatened to dismiss administrative staff who do not report to work during a 72-hour health sector strike.
  • Saavedra visited a municipal hospital, witnessing patient disruptions, and announced that non-reporting administrative personnel would be fired and replaced through public hiring.
  • The mayor stated the municipality has met its financial obligations to health workers, including back pay and bonuses, deeming the strike unjustified and calling it an abuse of protest rights.

Santa Cruz de la Sierra Mayor Carlos Manuel Saavedra issued an ultimatum to striking health workers, threatening to dismiss administrative staff who fail to show up for work. During an inspection of the Bajío del Oriente municipal hospital, Saavedra expressed frustration over patient disruptions caused by the 72-hour strike called by the health sector federation.

Tomorrow, first thing in the morning, Human Resources officials will be there, and administrative personnel who are not working will be out of a job, and the day after tomorrow I will open a public tender for hiring people who want to work for Santa Cruz.

— Carlos Manuel SaavedraThe mayor of Santa Cruz de la Sierra announced his intention to dismiss administrative staff who do not report to work during a health sector strike.

"Tomorrow, first thing in the morning, Human Resources officials will be there, and administrative personnel who are not working will be out of a job," Saavedra declared. He added that he would open public tenders for new hires who are willing to work for Santa Cruz. The mayor asserted that the municipality has fulfilled its financial commitments, including paying three and a half months of salaries and a vaccination bonus within two months, despite deadlines extending to August and December.

The health of the people of Santa Cruz cannot continue to be held hostage by people who want to harm it.

— Carlos Manuel SaavedraThe mayor criticized the health sector strike, deeming it unjustified and harmful to patients.

Saavedra questioned the justification for the strike, especially when some workers joined out of solidarity. "The health of the people of Santa Cruz cannot continue to be held hostage by people who want to harm it," he stated, emphasizing the municipality's patience, tolerance, and fulfillment of obligations. He stressed that while the right to protest is respected, abusive measures are unacceptable.

We respect the right to protest when there are justified reasons, but we reject what we have described as abusive measures.

— Carlos Manuel SaavedraThe mayor differentiated between justified protests and what he considered abusive actions by striking workers.

The mayor indicated that HR would verify attendance, and immediate dismissals and contract cancellations would follow for absent administrative staff. The Union of Health Workers at the Bajío del Oriente municipal hospital rejected Saavedra's statements, viewing them as an attack.

If tomorrow the officials are not working, they will be immediately dismissed and their contracts will be annulled.

— Carlos Manuel SaavedraThe mayor reiterated his threat to fire administrative staff who do not return to work.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by El Deber in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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