Country WIFI company AWA seems to be in deep trouble

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Country WIFI company AWA seems to be in deep trouble.

We knew some time ago that there was a problem since the local workers who we knew were always paid their wages a few weeks late.  However, we have seen a report on a WIFI Internet News site, sent to us by one of the staff made redundant. We have been told that other staff have stayed on as they think the situation can be salvaged.

Meanwhile the report on the Internet site "SinCables.Net" is that an indefinite strike started on the 8th June, summoned by the two unions UGT & CCOO, due to the non-payment of wages for some 4 months now, being from February to May.   There is said to have also been a distinct lack of communication from this "communications company" to their workers about the current economic situation of the company.  This has all led to a complete lack of confidence in the people in charge of the company, according to the representative of the union TCM-UGT in Castellón, Manuel Pegueroles.

The GRUPO AWA company was founded in the Canaries and stands for "Accesos Web Alternativos". It has been fantastic for many of the British Ex-Pats living in various country areas around Montserrat, Montroy and Turis.  We ourselves removed two Telefonica Lines and went completely over to AWA Country WIFI.  We run three computers, Skype video and Internet that is twice as fast as Telefonica was and with levels or service that are fantastic compared to anything that Telefonica ever offered.  Also, at a fraction of the price when taking into account the monthly AWA & Skype charges.

This supplier of services of WIFI Internet access for the countryside, possessed an enviable network of hotspots throughout the whole of Spain and also of an advertising network of interactive TV screens located in several commercial centers throughout Spain, 11 of them in the Canary Islands.

The strike call arrived after several meetings between the workers and the union representatives with the intention of looking for an explanation from the company about the lack of information. In view of this “silence” from the proprietors the situation was taken to the Court of Labour Arbitration to look for a way to provide a solution for this delicate situation that the workers find themselves in, but no representative of the company turned up according to the same sources.

The company has presented and displayed a redundancy notice that affects 15 workers. The strike call is the latest measure to be taken by the workers about their situation, after a great majority had already denounced the company for the non-payment of their last four salary cheques.

Unfortunately the direction of the company has not been too healthy and the sub-companies that formed parts of the  main group are being closed one by one. This situation is really more serious than it seems: the majority of the employees have been 5 months without receiving any wages, expenses, commission etc. and is all money that each employee may never recover now.

One worker reports that he arrived in the HQ at Castellón after travelling 3 hours from Barcelona, and the atmosphere could not be more devastating: parked cars with few people working, which contrasted with a year ago, with such an important company, with lots of activity, which has now disappeared completely.

It seems that today AWA is a fraction of it's former self and at the present rate it seems that it will continue decreasing it's capacity at an ever accelerating rate.  It also seems that their rural internet clients are terminating their own contracts due to the company not being able to take care of the clients technically or to maintain the networks in the heat of the operation.   Fortunately so far, our service has not been affected.

The same worker comments that perhaps it is due to the  crisis whilst others put it down to the bad administrative management… or both, but the certain thing is that the internal organisation, friendships and resentments have had a great part to play… but he feels that much has been the constant block on information from within the organisation.

The Future for us the client?

We have been advised that a working party is active in Montserrat formulating an alternative solution since the Town Hall feel that Country WIFI has an important part to play in the infrastructure here.  We will report more news when we receive it.

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