Approximately 20 opponents Optional group for museum curators They filed a formal complaint with the Ministry of Culture, citing “misconduct” and “lack of transparency” in the final selection process. Ranked No. 1 in number of job openings for two consecutive years … 40%, significantly higher than the numbers recorded in previous calls. The majority of those affected are well prepared and have already applied for three, four or even five OEPs (Offers of Public Employment). “What’s happening is not a lack of level, it’s something we don’t know,” they charge.
The sense of discomfort in this group was deep, and I could feel it. Angeles Albertthe Director-General of Cultural Heritage and Fine Arts, said in a letter sent a week ago. They blame relative dissatisfaction due to irregularities in the composition of the court, excessive vacancies (or vacancies of suspended opponents), lack of transparency in technical correction criteria, and “the existence of exams passed with as many or more errors as exams failed.” No response has yet been received from the general manager. But some museum directors are encouraging them to continue their advocacy.
Among the irregularities detected was a court being constituted without a presiding judge or chief clerk (regular or alternate), violating basic constitutional rules. The presence of members from outside the museum body who do not have the necessary expertise to evaluate the exercise. Then there is the coincidence that the reading continued for an entire day without a single candidate being declared “suitable”. “A large part of the failure is due to the days when members who served as presidents were on court without being named in the convocation,” they explain. And most of the readings in the previous trial were done by a four-member court instead of the five required by law.
The data confirms that the number of unfilled positions has increased significantly. This year’s recruitment (equivalent to 2023 and 2024) covers only 40 of the 71 offers offered. This means the vacancy rate is 43.6 percent. This is the second year in a row that something like this has happened. In the 2020, 2021 and 2022 EPOs, only 45 out of a total of 74 positions were filled, resulting in a vacancy rate of 39.2%. No one understands that this is happening in a ministry that is chronically understaffed, something even Minister Urtasun admits. In the last three rounds of recruitment (2016-2019), the number of vacancies ranged from 5-8%.
The opposition’s appeal is not limited to this letter. At least a dozen of them have filed appeals against conditions they consider unfair. The problem is that they’re running into ministries that don’t want to work with them. There is a one-month appeal deadline starting Oct. 25, but Culture has not yet provided details on eligibility or remediation criteria. “We think what they’re doing is letting time pass to neutralize it,” says one of those affected. Those familiar with these processes note that this information is typically provided within a week at most.
The selection process consists of four exercises. Multiple choice exams, language tests, oral exams, and practical cases on 142 topics. «It’s very difficult. Passing the final exam is no coincidence. “It is impossible for a student to not meet the minimum requirements for passing,” they point out.Due to the subjectivity of evaluation and the lack of objective revision criteria, many of the complaints center on the last exam, and they lament, “We don’t know why the exam was canceled.”
A similar thing happens in internal promotion turns. This year, 35% of the seats offered remain vacant. Last year it was 64.7%. “We’re talking about experienced people who took weeks off to prepare,” says the veteran restorer. “I understand there will be great discomfort,” he warns, “and there will be a huge number of retirements in a few years.”
This minefield created by the opposition in the Ministry of Culture is occurring in a sector that is not necessarily attractive to those who hold the position: the museum sector. “This is one of the worst ministries to work in,” said a person familiar with the matter. “For those who love art and archeology, it may seem like a dream, but as soon as you start opposing it, you realize it’s not so idyllic.” Conservators, engineers, archivists, and librarians are accused in these pages of being the lowest-paid employees and the least likely to be promoted. When the Minister on duty perceives a staff shortage, it is because, among other things, that many people move from one ministry to another as quickly as possible due to lack of visibility.
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