Radon Gas Shuts Tacoronte Job Offices; Council Faces Safety Criticism
Tacoronte's employment offices closed in June 2024 due to dangerous radon gas and an expired agreement, forcing over a thousand unemployed residents to travel and drawing criticism from opposition parties over the governing coalition's failure to ensure safe reopening for both users and staff.
More than a thousand unemployed people in Tacoronte now have to travel to nearby towns to handle their job-related paperwork. This started in June 2024 when the local employment offices closed. The reason for the closure was the discovery of radon gas inside the building. Radon is a natural radioactive element that can be dangerous to health, particularly increasing the risk of lung cancer, and needs special cleanup. On top of this, an agreement between the City Council, the Canarian Employment Service (SCE), and the State Public Employment Service (SEPE) that allowed them to work together expired on January 28. José Daniel Díaz, a spokesperson for the Nueva Canarias party, brought up these issues at a recent town council meeting.
Díaz criticized the current governing team – made up of PSOE, Coalición Canaria, and Partido Popular – saying they have neglected a public building. A report from the town's administrative office confirms that the City Council is responsible for maintaining such properties, even when they house regional or national services like SEPE and SCE. This is a basic rule in Spanish public administration. The problem also affects the SCE and SEPE employees themselves. They were moved to Tegueste and, at the council meeting, shared their worries about not having guarantees for their health at work. They are unwilling to return to the Tacoronte offices until there is a safe and suitable space. They turned down suggestions like using the Municipal Market or building a new facility. Instead, they proposed converting a floor of the library, but the mayor rejected this idea.
A month ago, Mayor Sandra Izquierdo stated that the City Council wanted the local Employment Office to function well and urged the SCE to ensure it reopened safely. However, at the most recent council meeting, when Nueva Canarias proposed improving the facilities and protecting employee health, the governing parties tried to change the proposal. Because Nueva Canarias refused to accept these changes, PSOE, CC, and PP voted against the original plan. Díaz believes this shows they are unwilling to support safety for workers and users. The Nueva Canarias spokesperson stressed that the City Council is the right authority to deal with the radon gas problem, carry out the necessary repairs, and create a new agreement to hand over the building in safe conditions.