Santa Cruz Home Care Workers Protest Over Unrecognized Workplace Safety Risks
Home Help Service workers in Santa Cruz de Tenerife protested against their insurance provider, alleging a systemic refusal to recognize workplace injuries and external threats as occupational hazards.
The Home Help Service (SAD) in Santa Cruz de Tenerife is facing a labor crisis after fifty assistants protested outside the Mutua Universal headquarters. According to Diario de Avisos, these employees—who work for the contractor Atende—claim the insurance provider is consistently refusing to classify work-related injuries and health risks as occupational accidents.
This dispute highlights a major failure in workplace safety for a sector that is overwhelmingly female; 280 of the 300 employees, who care for nearly 1,300 residents, are women. Works council chair Verónica González says the issue goes beyond simple medical leave. She points to the extreme vulnerability workers face on the job, noting that in the last year alone, there have been eight reports of sexual assault, alongside various incidents of harassment and threats. The committee argues that neither the company nor the insurer is taking these dangers seriously.
The situation in Santa Cruz illustrates the difficulty of applying standard safety laws to private homes. Unlike a traditional office, a private residence is an unpredictable environment. Risks range from the physical strain of moving bedridden patients to poor hygiene and the dangers of traveling between appointments—time that the committee argues should be officially included in safety protocols and working hours.
The protest, backed by groups including Drago Canarias, the 7M platform, and the Mercedes Machado association, highlights a long-standing demand: that external violence be officially recognized as an occupational hazard. Although the insurance provider refused to meet with union representatives during the demonstration, the workers remain determined, insisting that their physical safety should not be left to the insurer’s discretion.
This incident underscores the urgent need to overhaul safety protocols for social service contractors. Despite the essential nature of their work, these employees remain largely invisible. The Tenerife SAD workers are calling for more than just a response to past incidents; they are demanding a shift in policy that makes their safety an institutional priority, no matter where they are providing care.