Catalan Government Outsourcers Key Gender Violence Service to Private Firm Amid Worker Backlash

The Catalan government's Department of Equality and Feminism has outsourced the Specialized Intervention Service (SIE) for women facing gender-based violence and their dependent children in the Alt Urgell region to a private company. Previously managed under a contract by the CAPAU health centre, the service—unique across the entire Alt Pirineu and Aran areas—has now shifted to a concert regime, aligning it with other similar services in Catalonia.

The department justified the move as necessary to standardize provision, with the contract awarded via an emergency procedure published in the Official Gazette of the Generalitat de Catalunya on 27 November. The previous agreement expired on 31 December.

The decision has sparked discontent among some staff, who view it as an attempt by CAPAU management to offload a service run by a veteran, outspoken team that had raised operational challenges. Sources close to the workers told the newspaper that while the team is formally subrogated—retaining seniority and basic conditions—the shift effectively removes them from the public structure that had bolstered their influence and stability.

New job postings by the winning company already reflect lower pay: around €24,000 gross annually for a social educator and €24,000 to €27,000 for a psychologist—roughly €10,000 less than before. Critics warn this will lead to higher staff turnover and deter experienced specialists, ultimately harming service quality.

In a related development, the Alt Urgell County Council (CCAU) will hold an extraordinary plenary session next Thursday to discuss entrusting home care services (SAD) to the public company Iausa. Workers, after years of campaigning for remunicipalisation following repeated outsourcing to private firms, remain cautious. They have expressed concerns about rebuilding a service they say was previously mismanaged, questioning whether the process will deliver lasting improvements or amount to hasty fixes. Details on implementation remain unclear.