Not every municipality is going to hold a Three Kings Parada today due to health concerns, but Almuñécar is with only three security staff in place.

We use the term ‘security staff’ because they are not going to be the Policia Local as the Town Hall has hired private, security guards.

The police, already at loggerheads with the Town Hall, point out that during normal cabalgatas there are 20 municipal officers policing the event whereas this year there are only three security guards.

The police union points out that the Town Hall prefers to pay out 1,200 euros to a private security firm rather than pay them what they are owed for unpaid overtime work; the Tribunal Supremo sided with their demand and sentenced the Town Hall to pay up.

“We do not understand why they prefer to spend money hiring a private, security company, whose staff are not trained in handling road traffic, rather than using municipal officers, who are trained to handle such an event [which involves closing off streets and redirecting traffic] and where safety is paramount where so many children are involved,” said a union spokesperson.

The Town Hall, on the other hand, says that it was forced to hire private, security personnel because the municipal police had refused to cover the event.

Editorial comment: being an ex-serviceman, I remember that you had no right to strike nor be a member of a workers union, which I agreed with – this was during the 70s when strikes were constant and servicemen were called in to empty rubbish bins and man fire engines. We were not very ‘appreciative’ of civilians on strike, who were being paid much more than us and our having to do their jobs whilst they were on strike.

However, and this is a big ‘however,’ not paying your police officers what they are owed whilst you’re prepared to take home inflated salaries as politicians rankles heavily…

(News: Almunecar, Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucia – Photo: 3 Kings Route 2018)