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The Labour Inspectorate has ordered a halt to polishing work in the Olarizu field because "they are illegal"

A tractor hired by the City Council of Vitoria-Gasteiz has been crushing the grass this morning, and the unions have reported that this work corresponds to the gardeners on strike.

VITORIA, 10/09/2025.-Un tractor contratado por el ayuntamiento de Vitoria para alisar la hierba ante la huelga de la empresa adjudicataria desde hace cinco meses del mantenimiento de los jardines y ante la próxima romería a las campas de Olarizu. La policía municipal ha escoltado al tractor ante las protestas de los trabajadores de la empresa de jardinería. Adrián Ruiz-Hierro /EFE
A tractor ironing grass in the Olarizu field, assisted by a constable. Photo: EFE

In view of next Monday's celebrations in Olarizu, the City Council of Vitoria-Gasteiz has hired a tractor to begin the work of clearing grass in the field, a task that the unions have denounced as belonging to the city's gardeners who have been on strike since March 26.

ELA, ESK and LAB have stressed that these works are not within the minimum services set by the Basque Government and have announced that the Labour Inspectorate has ordered the suspension of these works because they are "illegal and involve the replacement of strikers".

They regret the "bad faith" of the City Council and denounce that this is yet another example of how the City Council has acted in this labour dispute that has been going on for more than five months. "The indefinite strike will not stop until we reach our own agreement with decent wages," they stress.

A tractor hired by the City Council of Vitoria-Gasteiz started ironing the field this morning, supported by the local police, when they saw that there was a picket of workers on strike there.

The Government team has defended this action on the grounds that it is covered by the Minimum Services Decree established by the Basque Government in mid-June and has stated that these works are not provided for in the contract with the gardening company Enviser.

However, this action has been described by the trade unions as "totally illegal" because it violates the right to strike, and this has been defended by the Labour Inspectorate, which has ordered such work to be suspended.

Next Monday the traditional romerie of Olarizu will take place in the Alavesa capital, and the main events will take place in these fields.

Enviser's gardeners went on strike on March 26 to demand their own agreement instead of the state's, and to demand wage increases, now that workers' wages are barely above the Interprofessional Minimum Wage.

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