He warns that business people do not feel well represented by Garamendi and that many employers have changed their vote to support her
Until now she has been a real unknown, at least on a national level, but last week she gave up that anonymity with the intention of snatching the CEOE presidency from Antonio Garamendi in the elections to be held on November 23. Virginia Guinda, businesswoman, vice president of the Catalan employers’ association Foment del Treball and mother of three, dreams of a “different” CEOE, “more transparent and focused”, so that businessmen get the weight they deserve in the future of the economy and the country . Without openly criticizing Garamendi, he does mention that there is a certain discomfort in many organizations because of the way he exercises his leadership.
– Does your candidacy show that you disagree with the current leadership?
– It is a sign that the CEOE must work in a different way, that it must be much more proactive towards the government and that the board must also be much more diverse, broader and more transparent, in order to make room for the concerns of entrepreneurs. I think the CEOE model is an outdated model. It is a very hierarchical and very presidential organization and it needs a more current style of leadership and governance.
– As of today, you only have 55 votes out of a total of 789. Do you have more unofficial votes?
–Yes, yes, luckily I have more votes and I collect more every day. I get good reception.
–That is, organizations that had announced their vote for Garamendi are now switching candidates?
–There are many, of course, because many people had expressed their support for Garamendi in a context where he was the only candidacy, and many are now showing their support for me.
– Do you then think that there is an internal malaise against the leadership of Garamendi?
–Of course I notice that business people do not feel well represented in what their interests are.
– What is the first thing you would change in the CEOE if you finally get access to the position?
– First, work with CEOE partners on a strategic plan for the next four years. And secondly, to propose to the government to establish an employer day, because we are a fundamental part of the recipe for a better way out of the crisis and we are not well perceived by society.
– Do you feel they are being demonized even by the government itself?
Yes, and that seems unfair to me. It pains me that the entrepreneur is often portrayed as a somewhat retrograde figure.
– Does it stand out among any of the 15 agreements the CEOE has made with the government?
I don’t want to delve into the past. What interests me is building the future in a different way. It should be avoided to work in watertight chapters at a time when Spain needs to implement major structural reforms. I miss the president of the government leading an income deal, determining how the effort is shared, and that’s what all parties involved should be working on.
-Let’s go part by part. Should all pensions increase with inflation?
-No, it can’t be. I don’t like it, but you have to be pragmatic: in this situation it can’t be. Just like not all salaries can increase with inflation.
– Wages are currently rising by an average of 2.6%. It is enough?
-No, it’s not enough. The government should also reduce income tax and sit down with employers to see what we do with the contributions, because we have a highly intervened labor framework and very expensive labor costs compared to other neighboring countries.
– In other words, your prescription would be a bigger pay rise, but a reduction in premiums at the same time.
–A reduction in contributions and also a deflation of personal income tax so that employees have more money.
Do you defend a different minimum wage by age and by sector, but not by territory?
–No, because I think it’s better that there is market unity in everything we do.
–And the different minimum wage. Would it go up or down? Would it start from the current 1,000 euros or should it be reduced for young people, for example?
–I hadn’t thought about it and I would like to talk about it with people who know more than I do.
–But are you in favor of an increase in the minimum wage next year?
– Probably we should see an increase, but just as I think the petrol subsidy should not be given to everyone, because the increase in the minimum wage does not have to be for everyone.
–The other important negotiation to be completed before the end of December is the increase of the maximum contribution bases. Is there a possibility to come to an agreement?
–The premium bases we have in this country are already very high compared to our competitors. The public interest at this point in history is that the company does well. More than ever.
Come on, now is not the time to raise prices any further.
-No.
–She has already spoken out in favor of modulating the recently passed labor reform. More specifically, on what aspects would it work?
I think it falls short. Lack of flexibility, dynamism. Entrepreneurs have little framework for integrating employment into new schemes. This new way of working must be better reflected.
–And would you also implant the Austrian backpack?
Yes, but it should be called the Spanish backpack. It would help a lot to modernize the working environment and protect the current rights of workers. And it seems to me that the availability of European funds that could be used to create this backpack would be a historic opportunity for our country to make a breakthrough in the labor framework.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
