The Independent Union and Officials Central (CSIF) in Andalusia, the first union force in the Public Administration and with a growing presence in private companies, has denounced “the lack of commitment” of the Ministry of Justice, Local Administration and Public Function to solve “the precarious situation” suffered by the auxiliary autopsy personnel of the Junta de Andalucía who provide services in the Legal Medicine Institutes of the community, including the one in Malaga. The union estimates the deficit of these personnel in the centers of the eight provinces at 60%s.
Specifically, there are currently 35 positions in the List of Job Positions in this category, which are covered, although, according to the calculations of the president of the General Administration Sector of the Junta de Andalucía in CSIF, José Manuel Dorado, at least another 20 professionals would be needed more for the service to be adequately dimensioned, which means nearly 60% more troops than there are currently.
“With the current human resources available for these services It is very difficult to organize vacation schedules, breaks and even the configuration of the different shifts that there must be for the 24-hour operation that is required, since the personnel that exists is clearly insufficient”, according to Dorado.
The trade union official recalled that CSIF has been claiming for years the reclassification of this personnel to Group III, as well as the update and modification of the access requirement, the criteria for the hiring and occupation of these positions, as well as the work days that they actually carry out.
Specifically, the auxiliary staff of autopsies performs, partially or entirely, functions prior to the completion of the autopsy, such as receiving the corpse and undressing it, transferring it to the refrigerating chamber and introducing it therein; write down, label and pack, extract the corpse from the refrigerator and place it on the autopsy table, as well as prepare the necessary instruments to perform the autopsy.
In addition, during the process, it performs the auxiliary functions under optional dependency in the techniques of opening and extracting organs, as well as weighing, measuring and taking samples from the places indicated for their conservation, packaging, labeling and shipping. After the post mortem examination, this staff performs other tasks such as the invisible external suture of the corpse and its cleaning.
CSIF explains that These professionals perform functions and tasks well above the assistance to medical personnel during the performance of the autopsies and specifies that the current degree that really qualifies them for this work is a Higher Level training cycle: Higher Technician in Pathological Anatomy or the corresponding professional certificate.
“Professionals at bargain prices”
However, the person in charge of the AGJA Sector in CSIF has denounced that “the Administration hires qualified personnel and pays them according to its catalog of professional categories that requires possession of the title of Elementary Bachelor, School Graduate, First Grade Vocational Training (Anyone will do) or equivalent job training. That is to say, professionals at bargain prices”, he criticized.
CSIF regrets that the 2023 Budgets do not include any budget item to comply with what was promised by the Administration in 2022 regarding the reclassification of auxiliary autopsy personnel to group III and regarding the expansion of the staff to provide a service of quality, since there was an initial commitment that was to increase them by nine more professionals. Similarly, the Board had the commitment to include in the job supplement, the plus of hardship, danger and toxicity.
“Nothing promised in relation to these personnel has been carried out and also for the present exercise There is also no budget allocation for an increase in staff”, concluded the head of the trade union center.