Moroccan Union Protests Retroactive Dismissal of Hospital Security Guards Over Education Requirements

A Moroccan labor union has lodged a formal complaint with the Minister of Economic Inclusion, Small Business, Employment, and Skills, protesting what it terms the "arbitrary dismissal" of private security guards from public hospitals in the Fez-Meknes region. The National Union of Private Security, Cleaning, and Cooking Staff, affiliated with the Democratic Confederation of Labor, stated that a decision by the Ministry of Health and Social Protection, requiring a specific educational level as per new contract terms, is being applied retroactively.

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The union does not oppose the new conditions that the Ministry of Health has stipulated regarding hospital security guards, including the requirement to obtain a third-year preparatory education certificate.

This retroactive application has led to the dismissal of guards who have accumulated years of professional experience and competence. The union argues that this policy contradicts the goals of professional inclusion and social stability, instead fostering exclusion and precariousness. It transforms an administrative condition into a tool that deprives hundreds of families of their sole source of income. The union emphasized that this practice violates principles of job security and acquired rights, representing a step backward from the government's commitment to social justice.

The union is calling for the minister's urgent intervention to halt these mass dismissals. They also request an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the firings and coordination with the Ministry of Health to reinstate all dismissed guards. The goal is to safeguard their rights and dignity in line with the constitution, labor law, and royal directives promoting a social state and protecting workers.

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The real problem lies in its retroactive application and the inclusion of guards who were already working, when the decision should have been limited to new hires.

Lubna Najib, the union's general secretary, clarified that the union does not oppose new conditions for hospital security guards, such as requiring a third year of preparatory education. However, she stressed that the core issue is the retroactive application of this rule to current employees, rather than limiting it to new hires. Najib highlighted the plight of dismissed guards, some with 20 years of service, particularly in regions like Fez-Meknes, Sale, and Sidi Yahya El Gharb. She noted that approximately 90 guards have been dismissed so far. Najib warned that if a solution is not reached this week, the union will escalate protests, starting at the regional health delegation in Fez-Meknes and potentially moving to the Ministry of Health's central headquarters.

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What happened to this category of workers contradicts the goals of professional inclusion and social stability, and it entrenches exclusion and precariousness, turning an administrative condition into a means of depriving hundreds of families of their sole source of livelihood.