What does the strike mean for holidaymakers in Puerto del Carmen and Playa Blanca?
According to the available information, selective waste collection continues despite the strike, with the established 80% minimum service levels in place. No official change to collection schedules, charges or disposal rules has been mentioned in the sources consulted.
The local source La Voz de Lanzarote does, however, point to possible odour and hygiene problems in residential and tourist areas such as Puerto del Carmen and Playa Blanca. No specific shortfall volumes or additional costs are given.
Anyone out and about in the holiday resorts in the south of Lanzarote should be prepared for full bins at collection points. No special application requirement or changed opening hours for residents, expats or tourists had been published by Friday.
Why are selective waste collection workers striking?
According to CCOO, the strike is not only about working time issues. The union cites breaches relating to rest periods, health and safety, financial supplements, work clothing, medical examinations and the application of the collective agreement.
The union is demanding, among other things, back payment of public holiday and night work supplements for the previous year in each case. Pay conditions have been frozen since 31 December 2024.
The industrial action has been registered with the labour directorate of the Canary Islands government. CCOO cites stalled collective bargaining and alleged breaches of labour and health and safety rights as the reason.
Why does CCOO criticise the 80% minimum service levels?
The CCOO union and the statutory employee representatives at URBASER criticise the minimum service levels of 80% of the workforce set by the Cabildo de Lanzarote as "absolutely disproportionate and abusive".
According to CCOO, similar services in other regions would usually be covered with 35% to 40%, and at most 50% on public holidays. These comparative figures are union figures, not an official finding.
CCOO states that the administration had provided in writing for selective collection to continue at practically the same frequency and under the same conditions as during normal operations. The union sees this as a restriction of the right to strike under Article 28(2) of the Spanish Constitution.
Who is leading the strike and what is the state of negotiations?
The strike committee is led by Echedey Hernández Martín; CCOO advises it. According to the union, despite the strike notice being submitted more than ten days in advance, no dedicated meeting has been held with the strike committee on the full set of demands.
The union says the company side continues to block progress on the distribution of working time from Monday to Friday.
How much waste is generated on Lanzarote?
These figures show that selective collection on Lanzarote has to handle a growing volume of waste. A prolonged strike with reduced capacity could therefore become visible more quickly in the affected municipalities.
What happens next?
No end date for the open-ended strike, no binding negotiation date and no decision on the lawfulness of the 80% minimum service levels has been published.
According to CCOO, the union's legal services are examining whether URBASER, S.A. or the Cabildo de Lanzarote may have breached fundamental rights, particularly the right to strike. The union says it has informed the relevant authorities of irregularities.
Until an agreement is reached or an official decision is made, residents and visitors on Lanzarote must continue to expect disruption to selective waste collection.