Union Voices Concerns Over Unjust Dismissals of Hospital Security Personnel
The National Union for Private Security, Cleaning, and Catering Workers, which operates under the umbrella of the Democratic Confederation of Labor, has formally addressed a letter to the Minister of Economic Integration, Small Enterprises, Employment, and Skills. The purpose of this correspondence is to call for immediate intervention concerning the alleged "arbitrary dismissals" faced by numerous private security personnel employed in public hospitals within the Fes-Meknes region. This situation has arisen following a decision from the Ministry of Health and Social Protection, which introduced new contractual requirements mandating educational qualifications, retroactively applying these standards to workers who have dedicated many years to their roles and demonstrated professional competence.
The letter, which was reviewed by Hespress, highlights that the treatment of these workers contradicts the objectives of professional integration and social stability, instead fostering exclusion and vulnerability. The union emphasizes that the administrative requirement has become a tool that threatens to strip hundreds of families of their sole source of income. Furthermore, the union asserts that the retroactive enforcement of educational qualifications has resulted in the exclusion of seasoned employees who have proven their capabilities over many years. This practice is viewed as a violation of professional security principles and a blow to acquired rights, undermining the social justice principles committed to by the government. The union warns that such actions jeopardize social peace and could lead to further unrest in a sector already plagued by "vulnerability and exploitation."
The union has urged the minister responsible for employment to take swift and accountable action to halt this mass dismissal, initiate an investigation into the circumstances surrounding it, and coordinate with the Ministry of Health and Social Protection to reinstate all dismissed guards to their positions, thereby safeguarding their rights and dignity in accordance with constitutional provisions and labor laws, as well as the royal directives aimed at establishing the foundations of a social state and protecting workers' rights.
In relation to this matter, Lubna Najib, the General Secretary of the National Union for Private Security, Cleaning, and Catering Workers, stated that the union does not oppose the new requirements set forth by the Ministry of Health regarding security guards in hospitals, which include the necessity of obtaining a certificate for completing the third year of secondary education. However, Najib emphasized that the core issue lies in the retroactive application of these requirements to current workers, rather than limiting them to new hires.
Najib noted that among those dismissed are individuals who have dedicated two decades to their profession, raising concerns about the fate of this category of workers, particularly in the Fes-Meknes region and areas like Sala and Sidi Yahya el-Gharb. The union has reached out to the Ministry of Health; however, no significant updates have been reported regarding the issue as of yet. She also mentioned that the dismissal decision exacerbates the struggles faced by many families, with approximately 90 guards affected, distributed among Sala, Fes-Meknes, and Sidi Yahya el-Gharb, according to the union's findings thus far.
Najib concluded by stating that the General Secretariat of the Ministry of Employment has been in contact with the union to ascertain the total number of affected individuals, stressing that the absence of a resolution within the week could compel the union to stage protests in front of the regional health delegation in Fes-Meknes and subsequently at the central headquarters of the Ministry of Health and Social Protection.
As reported by hespress.com.
