José Collado González, with 19 years of service as a "A" driver at the National Bus Company (EON), has made a public complaint in which he accuses his former employer of abandonment, workplace harassment, and retaliation.
Collado was one of the victims of a serious accident that occurred in 2021 while he was working as a driver, although he was not the one driving the bus at the time of the incident.
The accident: A national tragedy
In January 2021, a bus from EON went from Havana to the eastern part of the country, transporting teachers after their accommodations were converted into isolation centers due to the pandemic.
The vehicle plunged from a bridge at kilometer 44 of the National Highway. The outcome was devastating: 12 dead and 25 injured. Among the injured was Collado.
The injuries he sustained were severe: fracture of the tibial plateau (left leg); fracture of the ulna (right arm); dislocation of the shoulder and ankle with ligament damage and fracture of two ribs.
He was on medical leave for nine months, after which he was declared fit both physically and mentally to return to work.
The complaint: Abuse after recovery
Upon returning in October 2021, according to the complaint, Collado was not reassigned to his position as a driver.
"Instead of support, I received mistreatment and workplace harassment from the administration of the Base, UEB of Collaborators Transportation (EON). They denied my constitutional rights, harassed and subjected me to workplace bullying for requesting a bus that was out of service and did not have a fixed driver, and to this day, I have not received adequate compensation for the physical and emotional repercussions, he explained."
It reports that the National Omnibus Company did not protect a worker who was seriously injured while on duty, despite having an exceptional work record and never having been sanctioned.
Collado states that Articles 49 (health) and 51 (dignified work) of the Constitution of Cuba were violated.
Reports that there were no apologies or compensation: "just abandonment."
Collado González claims to have medical reports, employment documents, and witnesses that support his case.
It demands "a public and transparent investigation," as well as "compensation for physical and moral damages," reinstatement to a bus "A" driver's position, and "guarantees that no other worker will suffer this."
Who was driving? Key clarification and source of the confusion
A central aspect of the controversy was the initial, mistaken belief that Collado was driving the bus at the time of the accident.
In their first post, they didn't make it clear, which led to speculation and criticism from some users.
In light of this, Collado himself published a strong clarification on July 12:
“The EON buses operate with two crew members who rotate functions. I started as a driver, but at the time of the accident, I was sleeping during my break time, as mandated by the regulations.”
"The bus was in perfect technical condition. The investigation concluded that the cause was driver fatigue at the time. 'I was never summoned to testify nor was any responsibility attributed to me,’ he added."
This point was supported by the testimony—found in the comments section of his first post—of firefighter Yoan Manuel Sendoya Reyes, who participated in his rescue and confirmed: "We took you out loaded from the bus. I asked you what had happened, and you told me you were sleeping."
In his publication this Saturday, José Collado stated that after returning to work in October 2021, the administration of the UEB of Transportation of Collaborators in Havana offered him positions as a dishwasher or custodian, which were incompatible with his health condition.
By refusing to back down and asserting her rights up to the highest levels, including the Ministry of Transport, she claims to have been a victim of harassment, retaliation, and obstruction in her job: "I am not asking for privileges, just the chance to work. Is it fair to deny me the means to support myself for reporting negligence?"
In 2024, he tried to join TRANSTUR, but although he was called twice, he couldn't attend due to being on duty (in Granma and Guantánamo).
He explained that he requested his resignation from EON to apply for the position, but he never received a response, and since then all job opportunities have been closed to him without explanation.
"I am not asking for privileges, only to work. Is it fair that I am denied my bread for reporting negligence? That I am punished for seeking what the law protects?" he concluded.
Reactions: solidarity, criticism, and denunciations of the system
The case has sparked an intense debate in the Facebook group "Accidentes Buses & Camiones," where messages of solidarity, criticism of Collado, and broader reflections on the Cuban labor system have all been mixed together.
One of the most shared comments was from the moderator Pedro Domínguez, who held the senior executives responsible for the tragedy:
"Nobody cared whether the drivers were fit to make that trip. Here, we drivers are fuses that burn out when something goes wrong. A sad reality," he wrote.
Other users pointed out the precarious conditions of transportation, the lack of labor rights, and the absence of protection for workers following accidents.
There were also hostile comments and even insults directed at Collado, based on the incorrect assumption that he was the active driver at the time of the incident.
This confusion, now rectified, revealed the fragility of public judgment when key details are missing.
José Collado González's complaint has highlighted not only his individual case but also a broader issue: the vulnerability of many workers in the state sector in the face of serious accidents, the lack of institutional remedy, and the arbitrariness in the management of human resources.
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