Andorra Court Admits Only One Witness in SAAS Employees' Bonus Lawsuit
151 workers claim discrimination over suspended performance bonuses since 2012, while civil servants received equivalents; heated exchanges mark hearing as judge rejects testimony from top officials.
Key Points
- Andorra court admits only SAAS head Meritxell Cosan as witness out of 21 proposed.
- 151 SAAS employees sue for performance bonuses suspended since 2012, claiming discrimination vs civil servants.
- Workers argue bonuses are acquired rights; SAAS says repealed and absent from new collective agreement.
- Hearing features clashes over facts and witness suitability; case continues.
A legal hearing in Andorra for a lawsuit by 151 Servei Andorrà d’Atenció Sanitària (SAAS) employees seeking payment of performance bonuses (DPOs) suspended since 2012 has admitted just one of 21 proposed witnesses amid heated exchanges.
The workers, represented by the Unió Sindical d’Andorra (USdA), claim discrimination because civil servants received productivity bonuses to offset the frozen GADA salary scale, while SAAS staff have seen no equivalent restitution. Around 30 claimants attended the administrative proceedings in person, which featured sharp clashes between the USdA lawyer and the presiding batlle over disputed facts and witness suitability.
The lawyer described the DPOs as "acquired rights," independent of any collective agreement, and accused authorities of steering the case toward labour relations law to let SAAS evade responsibility. SAAS representatives noted that the collective agreement, finalised on 7 April, explicitly recognises the bonuses.
Claimants sought testimony from prominent figures including Head of Government Xavier Espot, Health Minister Helena Mas, and former ministers Joan Martínez Benazet and Albert Font Massip, aiming to detail failed restoration talks. The batlle rejected nearly all, demanding precise links to contested issues, and approved only SAAS head Meritxell Cosan.
Cosan testified that from 2012 to February 2022, no performance bonuses existed as they had been repealed and were absent from the collective agreement applied from October 2022. The non-penal hearing will continue.
Original Sources
This article was aggregated from the following Catalan-language sources: