4,000 prisoners stuck in their cells in Spain’s Catalonia due to workers’ strike

By Alyssa McMurtry

OVIEDO, Spain (AA) - More than 4,000 prisoners are stuck in their cells across Spain’s Catalonia region on Monday, according to the Catalan justice department, as striking workers have blocked the entrances to seven major prisons.

The confined inmates in the Spanish region are only receiving basic food and medicines as prison staff denounce dangerous working conditions. All other activities are interrupted as well, including testifying at trials, meeting with lawyers or being transferred to other prisons.

The striking began after a 48-year-old prison cook was stabbed to death by an inmate last Wednesday.

She was working in the kitchen in the Mas d’Enric prison when she was attacked by the convicted murderer, who later took his own life.

Prison workers were horrified by the event, but not surprised.

The local union of kitchen staff told the local daily La Vanguardia: “It is no coincidence that a cook was murdered” due to their “high levels of vulnerability.”

“We work directly and unprotected with inmates armed with knives and other tools that could be used as a weapon. Our work is not even classified as highly dangerous,” the union continued.

Indeed, prisoners deemed to have good behavior work alongside prison staff in the kitchens.

One of Spain’s largest unions UGT also denounced a growing number of attacks against all kinds of prison workers.

However, the main workers' unions have not called a strike — instead, this is spontaneous labor action being taken by furious workers. Strikes also occurred on Friday and Saturday.

On Monday, Gemma Ubasart, the Catalan justice minister, said those refusing to work could face disciplinary proceedings since this is not an official strike.

“This is a very worrying situation because it affects the rights and safety of both workers and inmates,” she said at a press conference.

While the local government and workers’ representatives are set to talk in the coming hours and days, the Catalan government is also weighing sending police into the prisons to replace the workers.