LOGROÑO, July 1 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Association of Bookstores of La Rioja, belonging to the FER, has filed a lawsuit before the Mercantile Court against several Rioja schools for what they consider “illegal” and “aggressive” practices in the sale of textbooks.
As pointed out at a press conference by the President of the Association, Antonio Domínguez, “we have started the procedures before the court to deal with the illegal sale of books in schools”, having detected these irregularities in at least 16 centers, although it is not ruled out to expand the demand if detect more cases.
One question, the sale of these textbooks directly by schools, as pointed out by the lawyer Silvia Martínez, from the Soriano Zueco office, which is the one that has taken charge of the lawsuit, “which has been denounced for years” , a complaint “that has the support of society and administrations”.
But, until now, no further progress had been made, “so it was considered that more efficient actions were necessary”, which would include “not only whether the sale of books in schools is in accordance with market and competition legislation, but also whether some of the practices carried out by these centers are legal”.
“Effectively, there are several centers that seriously fail to comply with current legislation, causing considerable economic damage to Riojan bookstores. Reactions were necessary to stop these practices as soon as possible and minimize losses,” Silvia Martínez has influenced.
Thus, the lawyer has indicated that “The ideal would be not to reach the end and that the schools stop themselves with the sale of textbooks, avoiding that the norms of the competition legislation continue to be violated”.
Among others fundamentals for demand, Martínez has pointed out “specific practices”, which he has preferred not to reveal until the demand has no further travel, of which he has highlighted, as a legal concept, his “aggressiveness”. He has alluded, in this regard, “to the position of authority” that schools have over students and parents.
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Also The lawyer has referred to the issue of free textbooks, on which just yesterday the Ministry of Education announced the destination of some 7 million euros to complete the project at all levels of education mandatory.
About it, He recalled that “what the law says is that families must collect the book checks at the centers”, and then go with them to the authorized points of sale. “But -she has reviewed- this week there are already centers that are announcing that they are going to manage this whole issue of free”.
Total, They have numbered 16 schools “that are breaking the law”, which, without specifying further details, “there are several and throughout the Rioja community”. “The Association will use all the tools at its disposal to defend the law”, underlined Silvia Martínez, who has confirmed that the lawsuit has already been filed in court.
as you have criticized Antonio Domínguez, “the schools go directly to the publishers, and then they keep the book checks directly.” He has cited, specifically, the case of a center “that keeps the gratuity checks, but then, to the parents, it also gives them booklets that they must buy for 195 euros”.
The Lastly, the president of the La Rioja Bookstore Association stressed that there are 30 associated establishments at the moment, “half the number eight years ago”, and that precisely, the sale of textbooks represents “up to 40 percent of annual sales for a normal bookstore.
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