Exams and competitions are being planned as part of the 2023 election cycle, with a wave of public forums across the province. The push is not solely tied to election year timing. Local governments are under pressure to accelerate reforms demanded by Brussels, as the European Union has urged Spain to curb extended temporary staffing in municipalities around Alicante and to address years of job insecurity affecting roughly half of the municipal workforce. The stabilization drive is a response to this ongoing tension between national policy and European expectations, aiming to reduce reliance on temporary posts and create more permanent roles where possible.
The stabilization effort will face challenges. The situation in Elche illustrates the difficulty. In February, rapid deadlines and competing claims have created friction around access to municipal offices and the allocation of tasks based on seniority, with some staff receiving higher scores than others under the current provisional framework. A penalty was imposed on a subset of workers, highlighting the tensions between evaluation criteria and the goal of equal opportunities across departments.
In Elche, an appeal was filed with the TSJCV after a judge canceled a summons affecting 400 workers.
The city administration argues that stabilizing temporary positions is exceptional and aligns with the stabilization plan endorsed by the national government to end prolonged temporariness in line with European directives. The Human Resources department filed an appeal with the TSJCV, supported by a report indicating that one local employee’s score could far exceed that of another under the current system, a point central to the dispute.
Long years
“This is a problem that has dragged on for years,” says a human resources consultant for Elche. The newspaper surveyed the largest municipalities and regional capitals to learn about stabilization plans and received responses from most, with Alicante and Villena not replying yet. The aim is to curb longstanding temporariness and expand staff through transparent merit-based processes to create a more agile administration. In Elche, the target is to stabilize 489 temporary positions, about a quarter of the workforce.
A judge canceled the entire stabilization process for 400 workers at Elche City Council
Across Torrevieja, the stabilization drive continues in step with broader provincial trends. The city is preparing tentative lists and exams, with officials predicting the process will take time. A senior HR executive notes the need for patience, estimating about two years to complete major stabilizations. The city of Torrevieja reports progress with unions CC OO, UGT, and CSIF and notes that 108 civil service positions, 114 competitive posts, and seven mixed competition-opposition opportunities are in play.
In Orihuela, several merit-based calls are progressing alongside ongoing on-site staffing updates. The HR mayor explains that ongoing stabilization efforts merge positions to enable affected officials to assume duties. The town hall currently lists 259 fixed positions, with bases set for each call and an emphasis on minimal disruption to other processes. A long-term view acknowledges workers who have spent more than 25 years in temporary roles and seeks to normalize their situations.
formula
Orihuela’s stabilization plan emphasizes merit contests while reducing the number of exams and granting City Council staff higher priority for stability. Officials note that new hires are not ruled out, but the fairest approach is to regulate stability and curb the erratic pattern that has persisted for many years. In Orihuela, the interim period has stretched for years, with nearly half of the workforce previously affected by temporary status. The town now prioritizes public job offers with clearly defined permanent positions as the path forward.
Further north, Benidorm reports that the baseline for ongoing processes has been published in the provincial bulletin but awaits official publication in the state gazette. As a result, no new calls have yet been issued, though city staff remain confident in the process and its controls.
The Brussels target is to keep the provisional rate at about 8 percent, a level that Alicante towns are only barely meeting.
San Vicente del Raspeig issued a call for procedures to stabilize 45 temporary workers at the end of last year. The plan allows for consolidation of positions held before 2016 through merit competitions, and stability is to be achieved through a competitive examination by the end of 2020. Those not affected by these calls will be included in the 2023 Public Employment Offer with the aim of staying below the European 8 percent threshold.
The mayor and HR head, Jesús Villar, confirms a commitment to lifting competition-driven posts and continuing work to fulfill the public employment plan through the year. Forty-five workers stand to gain consolidation, marking progress in a long-running process across institutions. Even as Brussels challenges persist, officials remain determined to end prolonged uncertainty, preferring a transparent path to stability.
plans
Alcoy’s HR consultant Alberto Belda shares stabilization plans for that municipality. He notes the existing stabilization framework has already delivered results, reducing the risk for workers who have endured temporary status for extended periods. In Alcoy, the objective is to finalize new positions through merit-based competitions and competition-opposition by year-end, while maintaining a relatively low provisional share of staff compared with major cities in the region. The HR councilor emphasizes that the previous stabilization cycle addressed many of the issues facing workers from 2015 to 2018, and the current path focuses on newer appointments starting in 2019.
In Alcoy, bases are being prepared to secure new posts through competitive processes, with the aim of completing the effort within the year. The provisional percentage remains among the lowest in the province, aligning with European expectations. The HR councilor adds that the city has moved beyond older cases and now concentrates on integrating workers who joined after 2019 into permanent roles.
Announcement
Elda City Council has approved a total of thirty calls for stabilization, with the goal of driving the temporary rate below eight percent. The municipality previously approved a Public Employment Offer in 2017 and has since advanced multiple processes, including nine distinct electoral cycles and fifteen stability posts across the council and associated bodies.
These thirty additional positions are slated for finalization before the end of 2024, subject to bases unanimously agreed with local associations. For roles held since 2016, merit and experience are valued, with no opposition stage for those cases, and senior staff receiving priority when qualifications are equal. The broader aim remains clear: curb long-term temporary staffing and create stable careers in municipal government.
Across the board, the city councils report a total staff of roughly 565 employees, with about 45 percent in temporary posts. HR offices highlight the need to finish this reform quickly to end the cycle of temporary hiring and to attract younger workers with digital skills. Compliance with European directives and national laws on temporary staffing continues to guide all stabilization measures, with a focus on merit-based selection and timely implementation across the province.