Spain's waste management faces labor sanctions and job loss disputes

Spain’s waste sector is under scrutiny from two separate labour disputes. The CCOO union reported that the national Labour Inspection opened a sanction dossier against FCC Aqualia and Urbaser, the operators of the Cobre landfill in Campo de Gibraltar. The inspection found deficiencies in risk‑assessment and protective measures for workers handling sludge and leachate that may contain hazardous substances such as hexavalent chromium, arsenic and lead. The authority has ordered the companies to adopt corrective actions within a set deadline, while the firms have not yet commented.

In the municipality of Cabrillanes (León), the council’s decision to municipalise waste collection led to the dismissal of a long‑standing employee. The UGT Servicios Públicos León union says the council failed to create the promised job and instead terminated the worker who had been employed since 2006. UGT has filed a legal claim demanding the employee’s reinstatement, arguing that the change has degraded service quality and is the only case of its kind in the province.