The general feminist strike called by the Basque union majority and by the feminist movement in Euskadi and Navarra leaves, as usual, conflicting evaluations and data. Both the organizers and the institutions agree that the impact has been especially relevant in Education, although the data they offer is very different. The agents who have called the day of protest speak of a general following of more than 70% in the entire Basque Autonomous Community, while the Basque Government points to around 40% in public schools and an unequal participation in the protest the scope of charter schools. Monitoring has also been very widespread in EiTB, where the minimum services have operated, or in the town councils.
The strike has been called by the unions ELA, LAB, ESK, Steilas, Ehne, Etxalde and CGY, and by the Feminist Movement of Euskal Herria, agents who have described the feminist general strike as a “success” and have assured that it is a ” historic day” for equality, in which “a giant leap is taken in the transformation that care needs.”
This assessment has been carried out on the steps of Bilbao City Hall by the general coordinator of LAB, Garbiñe Aranburu; the deputy general secretary of ELA, Amaia Muñoa; and the representative of the Feminist Movement, Naia Torrealdai, within the framework of a strike in which they have demanded “the collective right to care” and a “public and community” care system.
“What we ask for is a different care system that puts people at the center, a system of co-responsibility and that is public, free, universal and of quality. That is the system that a country like Euskal Herria, which is based on the dignity of people and that they have sufficient means to provide that quality service. It is a possible demand. Going on strike today contributes to the right that we all have to decent care and going on strike today contributes to the fight to improve working conditions in the care sector,” said Amaia Muñoa.
On behalf of LAB, Garbiñe Aranburu has pointed out that they are “achieving that the transformation that care needs is moving forward and today is a very important advance in that sense.”
Numerous protests and rallies are taking place throughout the day, although the main demonstrations will take place in the afternoon.
The Basque Government, for its part, has estimated the follow-up of the feminist general strike in the public education sector at 39.1% and 5.6% in the case of the Basque public health system of Osakidetza, during the day of morning in which the feminist strikes took place.
As reported by the Basque Executive, public education workers are those who have carried out the greatest monitoring, 39.1%, having information from 86% of Basque public centers. The conveners raise the monitoring figure above 70% in the case of public schools and ikastolas.
On the other hand, according to the data provided by the Department of Health, the follow-up of the strike call in Osakidetza has been 5.6% tomorrow.
Likewise, the Directorate of Labor Relations, attached to the Department of Public Governance and Self-Government, has verified that 13.28% of the staff of the General Administration of the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country has supported the strike.
Meanwhile, in Navarra, according to provisional data provided by the General Directorate of Public Functions, in the absence of accounting for the afternoon shift, 12.14% of the staff of the Foral Administration have supported the mobilization.
Throughout the day, there have also been some incidents. At dawn, two people were arrested for public disorder in incidents that occurred in the vicinity of the Mercedes factory in Vitoria-Gasteiz.
Another five people have been arrested in San Sebastián, for a crime of public disorder, after chaining themselves at the door of the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa.
