The worsening situation regarding sewage leaks in the toilets is only the latest in a series of problems, which began with leaks and have been going on for years.
Offices closed
But it's also what prompted ARPAS Director General Nicoletta Vannina Ornano to say enough. And in a memo sent yesterday to the Regional Department of Local Government, Finance, and Urban Planning, she adopted the extraordinary measure of closing the agency's headquarters on Via Contivecchi, "due to the extremely critical situation related to the lack of minimum conditions for protecting the health and safety of employees in the offices," the memo reads.
As of yesterday, all staff have been placed on smart working until further notice. Management has long been reporting the building's dire condition, but the process for acquiring new premises—the premises have been identified on Via Padova—is not yet finalized, despite being underway since 2019. Following yet another incident of unsafety, the firm has taken a tough stance and evacuated all staff.
The union
The CISL Public Function Sardinia union has expressed deep concern about the matter. Upon learning of the news, it immediately requested an urgent meeting with the Director General of ARPAS, Mariaelena Motzo, Councilor for General Affairs, Personnel, and Reform, Rosanna Laconi, Councilor for Environmental Protection, and Francesco Spanedda, Councilor for Local Authorities. The union's reason for the request was to "understand the status of the process for acquiring the new headquarters, which began in 2019 but has so far had no concrete results." "We understand and share the need to protect workers' health, but it is unacceptable that after years of waiting, a stable solution for the Agency's new headquarters has still not been found," said Massimo Cinus, General Secretary of the CISL FP. "The situation has become paradoxical and extremely serious, and workers and users cannot be the ones to suffer the consequences of administrative inertia. The Region and the Agency," the secretary continues, "must provide immediate and definitive responses. Urgent discussions are needed to ensure decent working conditions and continuity of essential environmental protection services for citizens."
David Lao
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