Aragon firefighters announce strikes over staffing shortages

Firefighters in the three provincial councils of Aragon have announced new strikes and a demonstration in Zaragoza scheduled for October 1 due to critical staffing shortages. The union CSIF reports a structural deficit of approximately 30% in personnel required by regional law.

According to union data, the three provincial councils currently employ 447 operational firefighters, whereas the legal minimum established by Decree 158/2014 is 641. The shortage is distributed across the provinces: Zaragoza has 163 workers against a requirement of 282; Huesca has 167 against 215; and Teruel has 117 against 144.

To compensate for the lack of staff, the services rely heavily on overtime, totaling more than 117,000 extra hours annually at an estimated cost of three million euros. The union warns that these shortages compromise response times and the safety of both workers and citizens.