Auxiliary nursing technicians at ERA Lugones protest exclusion from national strike demanding professional reclassification

Auxiliary nursing technicians (Tcae) at ERA Lugones, a care center in Siero, Asturias, protested after being excluded from a national strike called by the FAC-USO union (Federación de Atención a la Ciudadanía de la Unión Sindical Obrera). The strike aims to push for professional reclassification from subgroup C2 to C1 in the public administration — a change recognized by law and long demanded by this group. The workers say the management denied them a basic labor right by excluding them through designated minimum service orders published in the official Asturias bulletin (BOPA). This exclusion also affected technicians across all ERA centers in Asturias, despite having the same role as others participating. They also complain about staff shortages, lack of resources, and being tasked with duties beyond their role, like administering medication to residents. ERA Lugones has about 70 auxiliary nursing technicians, but at night there is often only one person to care for 60 residents on one floor. Residents and family members joined the hour-long protest to show support. Eufimia Konuta, a resident from Poland, urged the administration to recognize the daily work of these technicians. Reyes Peñarroya, whose relative is cared for at the center, said the demands are justified and affect the quality of care for their loved ones. The technicians stress that better working conditions would improve care quality for residents and their families alike.