*Elio Conesa works on occupational health for the Spanish State
Federation of Health and Hygiene Unions (FESAN-CGT). This article was
published in issue 404 (October 2025) of «Rojo y Negro». ---- The
healthcare sector, from medical care to long-term care, is one of the
most feminized professional fields. Despite its enormous social
importance, our sector is marked by profound gender inequalities in both
wages and working conditions. We continue to be the majority in this
field, but unfortunately, we are also the most vulnerable to patriarchal
violence in all its manifestations and in the workplace.
Harassment and Violence at Work: A Systemic Problem
Although our fight to eliminate gender-based violence is ongoing and is
recognized especially on March 8th and November 25th, harassment-and
especially sexual harassment-continues to be a problem in many
workplaces in the healthcare and personal care sectors, a phenomenon
deeply rooted in the patriarchal structure of our society. The daily
reality of work requires ongoing activism, which may annoy some, but for
us, it's a matter of life and death.
It's not enough to highlight the problem once or twice a year: the fight
against violence must be a constant effort. Everyone who works in this
sector has a duty to report, to speak out, to not remain silent, and
must be welcomed and protected without hesitation, both by businesses
and public administrations.
Cases of Violence in the Care Sector
A shocking case, reflecting the gravity of this situation, is the murder
of Teresa de Jesús González, an addiction worker in O Porriño (Spain),
brutally murdered by the partner of her caregiver.
Knowing the reality of our environment, it's likely that Teresa had
previously reported the sexual harassment she was experiencing and, as
often happens, her verbal complaint was ignored until she was no longer
paralyzed by fear. That's when we step forward, putting down on paper
what's happening to us.
As far as we know, the company reportedly told her that her work was
"essential and needed to be done" (as is often the case with
heat-related deaths: "rest a few minutes and then get back to work"),
effectively forcing her to continue, until the tragic end. This case
highlights a dramatic reality: many workers suffer violence and
harassment without effective measures being taken to protect them.
Teresa's case is not isolated: many women working in the care sector
lack access to adequate protection, leaving them exposed to sexual,
psychological, and physical violence in private settings, far from
public scrutiny. While gender-based violence is becoming more visible in
the domestic context, in the private workplace it often remains hidden,
hidden, and downplayed by contractors and even public administrations.
Improving protocols to further confuse us?
There was immediate talk of "improving protocols" (blah, blah, blah...),
when in reality the legislation on workplace risk prevention is already
very clear:
Law on the Prevention of Risks at Work
Article 21. Serious and Imminent Risk.
Paragraph 2. Pursuant to Article 14, paragraph 1, of this law, workers
have the right to interrupt their work and leave the workplace, if
necessary, when they believe that such work poses a serious and imminent
risk to their life or health.
Yet, in many cases, protocols for responding to risky situations are
unclear and, worse still, ineffective. Formal procedures often end up
confusing us and stray from their primary objective: providing us with
the support we need for our safety.
The situation is further exacerbated by the outsourcing of services,
which not only makes working conditions precarious but also pushes us
into situations of extreme vulnerability, with entrepreneurs profiting
at the expense of our health and our pain.
Do the protocols really address all possible situations? These are rare
cases, but no less important because they are extremely serious. For
example, when the attackers live in the same neighborhood or town as the
partner in danger, or when the attacker is the same person with a
disability who is assisted, in which case the problem is often minimized
or completely justified.
If the police and judicial system recognizes that it is unable to
guarantee protection to half of the requests submitted, then we must
offer maximum protection to women working in rural areas or in their own
neighborhoods.
Outsourcing and Job Precariousness
The outsourcing model is intensifying precariousness in all sectors, and
even more so in personal care. If it wasn't already evident, just take a
look at the various collective agreements in the sector throughout Spain.
The model of subcontracting services entails, in effect, a loss of
rights, as it subjects us to worse conditions and a system of systematic
exploitation, tainted by machismo and racism. The companies that win the
contracts enrich themselves thanks to our precariousness and inadequate
working conditions, designed solely to maximize their profits.
To do so, they often blackmail and isolate us, keeping us silent,
disorganized, and fearful of possible retaliation.
This situation of exploitation manifests itself not only in the
appalling working conditions, tolerated by public administrations that
wash their hands or look the other way, but also in the verbal and
physical abuse to which many workers are subjected.
Unjustified dismissal becomes a means of punishment for those who suffer
it and a warning to other women fighting for the recognition of their
rights.
The violation of the Law on the Prevention of Occupational Risks by
companies-and, even more seriously, by public administrations that turn
a blind eye-must be considered a form of employer terrorism. This lack
of responsibility for workplace risks endangers our lives and health,
and reveals a profound disregard for our safety and well-being. The case
of deaths from heatstroke and other preventable diseases is just one
example of how capitalism profits from exploitation and putting our
lives at risk.
The Need for Effective Protection and Zero Tolerance
Workplace protection against sexual, psychological, and physical
violence must be a priority in all sectors, but it must be even more
rigorous in the care sector. 100% of female workers must be protected
from imminent risks to their lives or health. Reporting or implementing
sterile protocols is not enough: we must be able to count on effective
safety and protection, guaranteed by businesses and public administrations.
When faced with sexual, psychological, and physical violence in the
workplace, the response must be clear: zero tolerance. Life and safety
must be respected at all times, and we must be guaranteed safe working
environments.
Protection is not a choice, but an obligation that must be rigorously
respected.
Never again despised
Never again abandoned
Never again alone.
https://alternativalibertaria.fdca.it/
_________________________________________
A - I N F O S N E W S S E R V I C E
By, For, and About Anarchists
Send news reports to A-infos-en mailing list
A-infos-en@ainfos.ca
Federation of Health and Hygiene Unions (FESAN-CGT). This article was
published in issue 404 (October 2025) of «Rojo y Negro». ---- The
healthcare sector, from medical care to long-term care, is one of the
most feminized professional fields. Despite its enormous social
importance, our sector is marked by profound gender inequalities in both
wages and working conditions. We continue to be the majority in this
field, but unfortunately, we are also the most vulnerable to patriarchal
violence in all its manifestations and in the workplace.
Harassment and Violence at Work: A Systemic Problem
Although our fight to eliminate gender-based violence is ongoing and is
recognized especially on March 8th and November 25th, harassment-and
especially sexual harassment-continues to be a problem in many
workplaces in the healthcare and personal care sectors, a phenomenon
deeply rooted in the patriarchal structure of our society. The daily
reality of work requires ongoing activism, which may annoy some, but for
us, it's a matter of life and death.
It's not enough to highlight the problem once or twice a year: the fight
against violence must be a constant effort. Everyone who works in this
sector has a duty to report, to speak out, to not remain silent, and
must be welcomed and protected without hesitation, both by businesses
and public administrations.
Cases of Violence in the Care Sector
A shocking case, reflecting the gravity of this situation, is the murder
of Teresa de Jesús González, an addiction worker in O Porriño (Spain),
brutally murdered by the partner of her caregiver.
Knowing the reality of our environment, it's likely that Teresa had
previously reported the sexual harassment she was experiencing and, as
often happens, her verbal complaint was ignored until she was no longer
paralyzed by fear. That's when we step forward, putting down on paper
what's happening to us.
As far as we know, the company reportedly told her that her work was
"essential and needed to be done" (as is often the case with
heat-related deaths: "rest a few minutes and then get back to work"),
effectively forcing her to continue, until the tragic end. This case
highlights a dramatic reality: many workers suffer violence and
harassment without effective measures being taken to protect them.
Teresa's case is not isolated: many women working in the care sector
lack access to adequate protection, leaving them exposed to sexual,
psychological, and physical violence in private settings, far from
public scrutiny. While gender-based violence is becoming more visible in
the domestic context, in the private workplace it often remains hidden,
hidden, and downplayed by contractors and even public administrations.
Improving protocols to further confuse us?
There was immediate talk of "improving protocols" (blah, blah, blah...),
when in reality the legislation on workplace risk prevention is already
very clear:
Law on the Prevention of Risks at Work
Article 21. Serious and Imminent Risk.
Paragraph 2. Pursuant to Article 14, paragraph 1, of this law, workers
have the right to interrupt their work and leave the workplace, if
necessary, when they believe that such work poses a serious and imminent
risk to their life or health.
Yet, in many cases, protocols for responding to risky situations are
unclear and, worse still, ineffective. Formal procedures often end up
confusing us and stray from their primary objective: providing us with
the support we need for our safety.
The situation is further exacerbated by the outsourcing of services,
which not only makes working conditions precarious but also pushes us
into situations of extreme vulnerability, with entrepreneurs profiting
at the expense of our health and our pain.
Do the protocols really address all possible situations? These are rare
cases, but no less important because they are extremely serious. For
example, when the attackers live in the same neighborhood or town as the
partner in danger, or when the attacker is the same person with a
disability who is assisted, in which case the problem is often minimized
or completely justified.
If the police and judicial system recognizes that it is unable to
guarantee protection to half of the requests submitted, then we must
offer maximum protection to women working in rural areas or in their own
neighborhoods.
Outsourcing and Job Precariousness
The outsourcing model is intensifying precariousness in all sectors, and
even more so in personal care. If it wasn't already evident, just take a
look at the various collective agreements in the sector throughout Spain.
The model of subcontracting services entails, in effect, a loss of
rights, as it subjects us to worse conditions and a system of systematic
exploitation, tainted by machismo and racism. The companies that win the
contracts enrich themselves thanks to our precariousness and inadequate
working conditions, designed solely to maximize their profits.
To do so, they often blackmail and isolate us, keeping us silent,
disorganized, and fearful of possible retaliation.
This situation of exploitation manifests itself not only in the
appalling working conditions, tolerated by public administrations that
wash their hands or look the other way, but also in the verbal and
physical abuse to which many workers are subjected.
Unjustified dismissal becomes a means of punishment for those who suffer
it and a warning to other women fighting for the recognition of their
rights.
The violation of the Law on the Prevention of Occupational Risks by
companies-and, even more seriously, by public administrations that turn
a blind eye-must be considered a form of employer terrorism. This lack
of responsibility for workplace risks endangers our lives and health,
and reveals a profound disregard for our safety and well-being. The case
of deaths from heatstroke and other preventable diseases is just one
example of how capitalism profits from exploitation and putting our
lives at risk.
The Need for Effective Protection and Zero Tolerance
Workplace protection against sexual, psychological, and physical
violence must be a priority in all sectors, but it must be even more
rigorous in the care sector. 100% of female workers must be protected
from imminent risks to their lives or health. Reporting or implementing
sterile protocols is not enough: we must be able to count on effective
safety and protection, guaranteed by businesses and public administrations.
When faced with sexual, psychological, and physical violence in the
workplace, the response must be clear: zero tolerance. Life and safety
must be respected at all times, and we must be guaranteed safe working
environments.
Protection is not a choice, but an obligation that must be rigorously
respected.
Never again despised
Never again abandoned
Never again alone.
https://alternativalibertaria.fdca.it/
_________________________________________
A - I N F O S N E W S S E R V I C E
By, For, and About Anarchists
Send news reports to A-infos-en mailing list
A-infos-en@ainfos.ca
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