The Socialist Group of Torrevieja (PSOE) has strongly criticised the Partido Popular (PP) following a Supreme Court ruling that prevents the reinstatement of more than 30 laboratory workers at Torrevieja University Hospital, leaving the future of dozens of families uncertain.
The PSOE says the situation is the direct result of the deliberate failure of the current Regional Minister for Health, Marciano Gómez, to honour a public commitment made to the affected workers. According to the Socialists, Gómez had assured staff that if the ruling of the High Court of Justice of the Valencian Community (TSJCV) was favourable, it would not be appealed — a promise that was later broken, opening the door to the unfavourable outcome now confirmed by the Supreme Court Nota de prensa trabajadores hos….
A Missed Opportunity to Defend Workers
In May 2025, PSOE Torrevieja tabled a motion at the municipal plenary session urging the Regional Health Department to comply immediately with the TSJCV ruling, which had declared the collective dismissal of laboratory staff null and void and ordered their reinstatement.
During that debate, PSOE spokesperson Bárbara Soler reminded councillors of the minister’s public commitment not to appeal. Despite this, the PP group voted against the motion and introduced a counter-amendment that blocked any official institutional support for the workers.
At the same session, Mayor Eduardo Dolón claimed that the PSOE had been unwilling to subrogate the workers and argued that the PP had acted differently in other health departments, citing the case of Manises as an example.
“A False and Misleading Comparison”
The PSOE has rejected that argument as false and misleading. Soler explained that the Manises case was fundamentally different, as both the Regional Minister and the trade union CCOO had publicly acknowledged that the Manises health department contracts included a legal provision allowing laboratory staff to return to the concession at the end of the contract.
“That provision never existed in Torrevieja,” Soler stated. “And it didn’t exist because the tender specifications were originally drafted by the Partido Popular.”
According to the PSOE, the PP knowingly used the Manises example to confuse the public and avoid responsibility.
“They were fully aware that the two cases were not comparable, yet they chose manipulation over defending Torrevieja’s workers,” Soler said.
Silence After the Ruling
The Socialists have also criticised the silence of the local PP leadership following the Supreme Court decision. Despite the serious consequences for the affected families, the mayor has made no public statement.
“They were silent when we asked them to intervene to stop the appeal, and they are silent now that the damage is done,” Soler said. “They were never on the side of these workers.”
The PSOE considers it particularly serious that the PP in Torrevieja supported the breach of the minister’s commitment, placing party loyalty and alignment with a same-colour regional government above the defence of local interests — even though the mayor himself sits as a deputy in the Valencian Parliament.
PSOE Reaffirms Its Support
The Socialist Group has reiterated its full support for the laboratory staff and their families, insisting that the outcome could have been avoided had the PP acted responsibly and honoured its word.
“This was not inevitable,” Soler concluded. “It was the result of political decisions, broken promises, and a refusal to stand up for Torrevieja’s workers when it mattered most.”
