Spain reaches May 1 with more than 21 million Social Security affiliates, but at the head of the EU in general unemployment (11.8%) and youth unemployment (28.2%). For the Government, the labor situation is improving, but it is insufficient. For the unions, the moment is crucial and they demand a series of demands on a day in which they encourage society to participate in the more than 70 events and demonstrations called throughout the country under the motto “For full employment: less working hours.” , better salaries.”
For UGT, May 1 must serve to address the issues that really concern workers. The union led by Pepe Álvarez demands “the achievement of full, decent, stable and quality employment”, as well as “continuing to improve salaries” and advancing “the legal reduction of the working day to place ourselves in the European environment.”
UGT considers that it is time to give “a boost to powerful industrial policy, convert the challenges posed by the energy-ecological transition into quality employment opportunities, promote democracy in companies, and a recovery of all public services.” and attention to citizens for which, he warns, a tax reform is necessary that reinforces equity and the possibility of developing public policies.”
CCOO, for its part, has added access to housing to the labor demands of this May 1, which, for Unai Sordo, “must become a materializable right.” “Public policies have been real estate and not housing; intended to artificially maintain high prices of an asset. It is necessary to guarantee affordable prices for an essential good,” added the general secretary of the union.
Workers’ Commissions also consider that “it is key to renew the commitment to industrial and sectoral development policies.” “We must continue along this path, also reducing the working day by law, improving time control systems, modifying the regulation of part-time hiring so that more ordinary working hours can be consolidated in a very feminized type of hiring — and that explains part of the gender gap—or by modifying the dismissal regime”; adds the union center.
The Government, which will be present at the demonstration on May 1 in Madrid, considers that it is a “festive” day, but with some problems that must be solved. The second vice president and Minister of Labor, Yolanda Díaz, has announced that she is going to undertake bilateral work with the autonomous communities to tackle what, in her opinion, is the real labor problem: the unemployment of those over 52 years of age, where they reside. a chronic problem of reintegration into the world of work.
The leader of Sumar has also opted for the “reduction of the working day” and for the improvement of productivity through social dialogue.
Yolanda Díaz has insisted that the Government should veto the possible merger of BBVA and Sabadell, advanced yesterday by the entity chaired by Carlos Torres. The second vice president, Yolanda Díaz, stated this Wednesday that she will ask the PSOE to veto the operation because, according to her, she has criticized it, it will lead to layoffs and will contribute to “reducing the quality of service.” Asked about possible measures, Díaz added that the Government may require the maintenance of employment of the possible merger.