They demonstrated jointly in the four capitals of Hego Euskal Herria. The unions have ruled out that the hikes agreed this year could be blamed for the rise in inflation, and have denounced that the working class must face “a third crisis”.
Under the slogan “#TheSolution”, CCOO Yes ULS by Euskadi and Navarre demonstrated this May day together in the four capitals of Hego Euskal Herria to demand that governments and employers raise wages, greater equality between men and women and measures to contain price increases. As they explained, these are their main demands after verifying that “energy price has broken records, CPI has hit historic highs and salaries have been frozen for years,” the unions said.
Behind banners that read “The solution: raise wages, contain prices and increase equality”, several thousand people have marched through the main streets of Bilbao, Pamplona, San Sebastián and Vitoria-Gasteiz. Similarly, other posters have also been seen reflecting both unions’ commitment to women’s and workers’ rights; wages, employment and decent pensions; a reaction from the union if appointments are blocked; quality public services; and the rejection of any form of austerity because of, among other things, the war in Ukraine.
In Pamplona, the General Secretary of the UGT of Navarra jesus saints has shown solidarity with Ukraine and criticized the economic difficulties posed by the war and which require “ambitious price control policies”. She has also advocated for equality and the prevention of occupational hazards.
He also recalled the 13 agreements signed by the unions that, as he stressed, have made it possible to keep more than three million jobs and ensure pensions. In this sense, he has indicated that now is the time to “close causality in layoffs”, “return to pre-PP reform compensation” and, in collective bargaining, ensure workers’ purchasing power.
Santos regretted that this year’s 2.5% salary increase cannot cope with current inflation, which is around 10%. For this reason, he has opted for the “year to year” salary review, and has warned that if there is no agreement, “conflict is served”. At the same time, he recalled that the pension reform jeopardizes the update of the CPI, “and the agreements must be respected”.
In similar terms, CCOO Navarra’s general secretary has stated: Chechu Rodriguezwho has advocated for social cohesion and warned of messages calling for less freedom and less democracy, against which he has called for “a cordon sanitaire”.
Likewise, it has valued the agreements reached during the pandemic and demanded equality and control over the prices of energy and basic consumer products, “which are skyrocketing not only because of the war, but also because of other aspects that are more speculative.
Similarly, he has demanded a pay rise that “makes work more dignified and does not impoverish us again” from working people, “who don’t have to pay for a third crisis. And that’s where we are.”
Loli García, from CCOO, and Raúl Arza, from UGT, in Bilbao. Photo: EFE
The Secretary General of the two trade union federations Euskadi, loli garcia (CCOO) and Raul Arza (UGT), participated in the demonstration in Bilbao, which started at 11:30 am from Sagrado Corazón.
García has assured that “they will not allow” the bosses to raise prices, freeze salaries and “fill their pockets at the expense of the workers”, and that for this reason they “Very demanding” with wage increases.
He has confirmed that during the two years of the pandemic and “after much effort” “recaptured” rights and got new ones, but he stated that “there is still a long way to go: this country is indebted to the working class and we want clear and strong measures to lower prices, limit the cost of energy and social policies, so that no one the gutter is left behind”.
arzafor its part, the improving wages and in the requirement of the clauses of Salary review In this way, he stressed that “if prices are not kept under control and wages are frozen, the consequences will be severe given the disproportionate increase in the cost of living”.
They have also commemorated the workers who lost their lives during the pandemic and have claimed the role played by the “confederal union work” to increase the minimum interprofessional salary (SMI), labor reform and pensions increase again with the reference of the CPI.
Source: EITB
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.
