A municipal employee from Cassà de la Selva is engaged in a legal battle against the town hall after being dismissed and subsequently reinstated by court order. Ricardo Baladon claims that local authorities have engaged in irregularities in managing his position as a maintenance assistant.
The conflict originated when the worker won the vacancy through a public competition in September 2023. His situation changed drastically after returning from a medical leave in June 2024 and requesting a reduction in working hours.
The administration communicated his dismissal to him through an electronic notification. The document alleged that he had not passed the established probationary period.
"The agreements established two months and he had been working for eight" - Ricardo Baladon, affected worker
This temporal discrepancy proved decisive for the employee's defense. A judge declared the dismissal null and void, considering that there was discrimination due to illness, and ordered his immediate reinstatement.
Two rulings endorse the employee's return
Justice has already issued two rulings favorable to Baladon that confirm his right to occupy the position he originally won on his own merits. However, the execution of these court orders has not been without tension.
Two sentences were necessary to confirm the return of the official to his usual duties within the city council. The process has uncovered alleged dynamics of favoritism in personnel management.
Baladon relates that during his previous stay he received assignments of harder jobs and lacked sufficient tools. This situation could have sought to force his voluntary departure from the institution.
The employee tried on multiple occasions to meet with the mayor Pau Presas to expose these irregularities. The institutional responses were limited to stalling him with the promise that the matter would be resolved soon.
A formal instance presented to the councilor about the alleged irregular positions never received any response from the local executive.
The council denies any illegality
Municipal sources categorically rule out that any irregular awarding of jobs has been carried out. They defend that all positions are filled strictly in accordance with current legality.
"The dismissal was for objective reasons and the rehiring was done on a permanent employment basis" - Sources from the Cassà de la Selva City Council
The government team explains that the original selection process aimed to cover a replacement contract due to partial retirement. After the initial dismissal, they opted to use the job pool to cover the urgent need.
Baladon maintains that the position he won should have been re-offered through a competitive examination after his unfair dismissal. He accuses the administration of having given the job to another person while the case remained under judicial review.
The tension between the worker's version and the institutional defense continues unresolved. The existence of two judicial rulings ordering reinstatement contrasts with the narrative of administrative normality maintained by the city council.