A new labor dispute is affecting the operational management of the Las Palmas Port Authority in the eastern islands—and on the island of Puertos del Estado President Gustavo Santana, who at this rate may not be able to stand for any election in the Canary Islands in 2027. CSIF has even reported alleged coercion.
Verbal instructions and imposed supervisors with no written record
Union representatives of the Port Police at the Port of Puerto del Rosario have submitted a formal complaint to the senior leadership of the public body, denouncing the imposition of verbal instructions requiring officers to assume higher-grade duties—such as Team Leaders and Service Managers—without the required documentary record or the pay guarantees established by law. The complaint, filed through union delegate Fernando Melián, also reveals a climate of tension marked by alleged warnings of disciplinary sanctions against those who request that such orders be issued in writing.
The union representatives’ submission details that the department leadership, through middle managers, is communicating exclusively orally that rank-and-file officers must assume responsibilities that substantially exceed the duties of their original posts. This situation occurs on certain days because of a shortage of staff assigned to supervisory positions at the facility on Fuerteventura.
The union demands legal certainty without refusing to perform the service
The workers have made clear from the outset that they do not oppose meeting the needs of the service or complying with the Port Authority’s management and organizational powers. However, they demand that the assignment of these higher-responsibility duties be formalized in writing to guarantee the minimum legal certainty and transparency required under the current labor framework.
The Ports agreement requires justification and compensation
The dispute is rooted in the Third Collective Agreement for Puertos del Estado and Port Authorities. The regulations governing the sector expressly stipulate that functional mobility and the performance of duties corresponding to higher-grade positions must be based on strictly justified technical or organizational reasons. The agreement also requires that these duties be performed only for the minimum necessary period, ensuring that staff meet the required qualifications, skills and training, as well as receive the corresponding financial compensation under the higher pay bands.
CSIF points to coercion and threats of disciplinary proceedings
However, the most serious aspect of the complaint concerns the methods allegedly used by the department leadership. According to the union, police supervisors have warned that any employee who expresses disagreement, requests clarification or demands that these verbal orders be formalized in writing could face disciplinary proceedings, sanctions or other negative consequences for their career.
Requesting a written order does not constitute insubordination
The workers’ representatives consider it entirely improper for the exercise of a legitimate right—such as requesting a written record of an order involving functional mobility—to be met with coercive attitudes or threats of sanctions. The submission stresses that requesting that an instruction be properly documented does not in any way constitute an act of disobedience or labor insubordination, but rather an essential procedure for certifying the assigned duties and the conditions relating to occupational safety and responsibility under which they must be carried out.
Call for transparency over assigned duties
In response to this situation, the group has formally asked the Las Palmas Port Authority to order an end to verbal instructions and to communicate in writing any assignment of Service Manager or Team Leader duties. Those communications must specify the specific tasks, the corresponding pay band and grade, the technical justification for the measure, its expected duration, the required training and skills, and the pay differences the worker will receive.
They demand an end to intimidation at the Fuerteventura dock
The union has also called on the Port Authority to instruct its middle managers to maintain a relationship of strict professional respect, eliminating any form of intimidation or warning of sanctions against staff for requesting administrative transparency. Disciplinary action, the workers’ representatives remind the authority, must be based on objective facts and the legally applicable sanctions regime, and must not be used as a tool to intimidate officers who demand compliance with the collective agreement at the Fuerteventura docks.
The article Puertos del Estado… a Failure: Gustavo Santana’s Island Gets Caught Up in Las Palmas Chaos was first published on canarymaritime.com.
