Most of you have probably read about this already, but just in case... I recently came across some interesting information regarding the Spains' Bethel Branch in Ajalvir. On March 26, 2007, Spains's Department of Labor and Social Matters (Ministerio de Trabajo y Asuntos Sociales) paid a very unwelcome visit to the branch and conducted a site inspection which uncovered overwhelming evidence that The Watchtower Society was knowingly violating varios legislative decrees regading workers' rights. It was further discovered that the Society was intentionally circumventing the law in order to avoid having to pay Social Security benefits as required by the "Regimen General del Sistema de Seguridad Social" (Spain's SS Administration). So they got slapped with a citation and were forced to pay these benefits to most of the Bethel staff retroactive to 2003 (to their SS accounts I assume).
But the Society, as usual, put their "spin" on things to make it seem that they had actually "requested these Social Security benefits" for their beloved bethelites. They did this by way of a letter dated September 4, 2008 sent to all the congregations in Spain. I will attempt to translate part of the 6th paragrah as follows: "As a result of the request we submitted before the Department of Labor and Social Matters with this purpose, the Counsel of Ministers (of the Labor Dept) has approved, last December, a Royal Decree by virtue of which the members of the Religous Order of the Jehovah's Witnesses in Spain have been included in the Social Security (program)."
Incredible!
The letter concludes: "We trust that this news will have a positive effect in the preaching of the good news of the Kingdom during the final part of the "last days" in which we live..."
However, as expected, this good news was short-lived (7 months, in fact). It sems the Governing Body could not stand having to pay towards "volunteers" Social Security benefits... After all, they call the shots not the government!!! How dare the government of Spain tell the Governing Body how to treat their bethelites! So they sent a letter on April 1, 2009 which basically asks the bethelites at Ajalvir to 'Start packing... we're taking our business elsewhere'.
My questions is... What is the latest update on this branch closure??? Last I heard, the "pink slips" were in the mail but I have not been able to confirm this... Does anyone know?