Three workers dismissed from Sopra Spain for refusing to do 24x7 availability services

Three workers were dismissed from Sopra Spain for refusing to do 24x7 availability services. Some weeks ago, a judgement was made public that revoked a sanction imposed by Sopra Group to a worker who refused to do a 24x7 availability service with a response deadline of 10 minutes. The judgement confirmed that these availability services are voluntary and that the company had acted arbitrarily when the worker was sanctioned.

However, we have known that last week three workers were dismissed. Two of them had refused to do these 24x7 availability services and the third one was awaiting trial because of a sanction that had been imposed to him by the company. Moreover, one of them is the Secretary General of the Union Section of CGT in Sopra.

With this shameful attitude, Sopra Group has violated two fundamental rights of the workers dismissed, and by extension, of the entire workforce:

• Effective judicial protection. The company can not retaliate against employees who exercise it and sue. Moreover, in this case, it is ignoring the ruling of a judge.
• Freedom of association. The company can not retaliate anyone who performs union activity.

For all these reasons, the company knows as well as we do that dismissals are unfair. Why does Sopra take the risk to a process in which they know that everything is against them?

The 24x7 availability services that we do out of business hours mean a very important part of Sopra's business model, and a rebellion is growing which may spread throughout the company. The reason for these dismissals is simply to get rid of any rebellious stance within workforce.

All at once they try to get rid of those who bother them and to scare the rest of the workforce.

This attitude of the company is the confirmation that we are doing a good job, and this Union Section is going to keep on fighting for every worker's rights in Sopra.

We demand the the immediate readmission of the dismissed workers.