També en català | Tambien en castellano
Since practically the beginning of the construction of the building where we work, leaks have been a constant issue. Not an anecdote. Not an isolated incident. A serious structural problem, well known and repeatedly reported, which has been gradually normalised by simply looking the other way.
For years, there have been leaks, damp patches and pieces of the plasterboard ceiling falling down. The response has always been the same: request quotes, delay decisions and fail to implement any real solution. Meanwhile, working people continue to walk every day beneath a ceiling that is literally falling apart.
When water falls… buckets are placed
The images from recent days are damning: buckets, drums and containers spread across walkways to collect water dripping from the ceiling. “Wet floor” signs as the only preventive measure. A scene more typical of an improvised patch-up job than of a building that should meet basic safety and maintenance standards.
This is not a solution.
This is accepting that the building leaks and living with it.
From leaks to serious risk
Finally the situation has escalated. Not only did plasterboard fall: aluminium profiles also came down, rigid, heavy and sharp elements. Objects that, had they hit someone, could have caused very serious injuries or something even worse.
The photos of the broken false ceiling, with the metal structure completely exposed, make it clear that the risk is not hypothetical. The danger has already materialised. And even so, the response has been late and minimal.
Blocking access is not prevention
The measure taken has been to cordon off the area and prohibit access. As if the problem ended there. As if the risk had appeared suddenly and not been clearly visible for years through constant leaks, damp stains and previous collapses.
Occupational risk prevention is not about reacting once something falls, but about preventing it from falling in the first place. It is not about placing buckets under the problem, but about fixing the problem at its root.
Negligence with those responsible
From CGT CELLS, we denounce this situation of ongoing negligence, where the priority has been not to spend money, not to make decisions and not to cause inconvenience, at the expense of the health and safety of working people.
It is not acceptable to:
- Normalise buckets of water in walkways.
- Wait for metal elements to fall before acting.
- Entrust safety to luck and to the hope that “no one is underneath”.
We demand real solutions, now
We do not want any more patch-ups or cosmetic measures. We demand:
- A definitive and immediate repair of the source of the leaks.
- A serious assessment of the structural risk of the false ceiling.
- An end to playing with the physical integrity of those who work in this building.
- It appears that work has already begun. We have been able to see that scaffolding has been erected and that there are people working on the ceilings. We request maximum transparency and that the workforce be kept informed about the actions and decisions that are taken in this regard.
Because today it was an aluminium profile.
Because tomorrow it could be something tragic.
Together we are stronger!
CGT CELLS