Donald Trump was the protagonist this Monday at the UGT headquarters. At the presentation of the May Day mobilizations in Spain, the US president was mentioned more times than the national economic actors usually pointed out by the unions. And this is because, according to Pepe Álvarez (UGT) and Unai Sordo (CC OO), the military and commercial strategy of the United States and its “Trojan horses in Europe” —referring to far-right parties like Vox— are a “great threat” to the rights of the working class.
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Under the slogan Rights, not trenches. Wages, housing and democracy, the unions are calling for a hundred joint mobilizations. The main one will be held in Malaga, at the start of the electoral campaign in Andalusia, an election that the unions do not link to the call to the polls, but rather to the fact that the city is the “paradigm” of the housing access crisis in Spain.
Álvarez said that the “central reason” for calling for a large May Day mobilization is to turn it into “a cry against war” and a “demand for peace.” “Trump is promoting crimes against humanity, attacks on international law, a genocide in Gaza, a senseless bombing of Iran…”, denounced the UGT leader, before demanding that he “take his eyes off Cuba.” Along the same lines, Sordo highlighted that the slogan “rights, not trenches” alludes to the “certain possibility of a conventional war.” “There is a military escalation in very relevant parts of the world, with a commercial and regulatory war unleashed against the European Union,” added the general secretary of CC OO.
Both emphasized that the economic effects of this strategy negatively impact the working class, given the “questioning” of labor rights and the rise in prices due to increased fuel costs. For this reason, Sordo encourages rebellion against “vassalage to Trump,” who wants to “position himself as the new world emperor.” “It is time to promote strategic autonomy, to rebalance international relations by looking at other countries, including China,” insisted the CC OO leader. At the same time, Álvarez called on national parties to clearly position themselves on the US strategy: “We deserve clarity.”
The two applauded the Executive’s stance on this global challenge. “Whether part of Spanish politics likes it or not, the position of the Spanish Government is clearly one of leadership, and international trade unionism appreciates it,” said Álvarez. “It’s embarrassing to say some things because unions have to push, but we would be lying if we didn’t say that we are a democratic benchmark worldwide. This is because the Government has made an accurate reading of what is happening in the world and has known how to anticipate it,” added Sordo, who at the same time denounced that the right “is running around like a headless chicken” on this matter: “This is no longer about maintaining the Atlanticist link when the US is trying to fragment Europe.”
Housing crisis
Álvarez and Sordo emphatically rejected that they are holding the central May Day event in Malaga because of the elections in Andalusia. The UGT leader indicated that they began to consider this possibility at the end of November, when it was not known whether the Andalusian PP would rush the deadlines and call elections in May or earlier. “May Day always falls on May 1st,” Sordo quipped.
Both highlighted that the surge in prices not only diminishes the purchasing power of wages but also hinders business initiative. “It is a problem for the economic system. Business owners must be aware that if this situation is not addressed, they will increasingly struggle to find workers in the most strained areas,” Álvarez opined. “Housing must be built in Spain, but at affordable prices,” added the general secretary of CC OO.
At the same time, Sordo demanded a better “distribution of wealth in Spain,” stating that it is not reasonable for Spain to be the major European country where GDP grows the most while wages are “stagnant.” “The macro-economic situation must be translated into the pockets of families. We must dispute wealth,” said the head of CC OO. “Wages can rise more,” commented the UGT representative.
Both he and Sordo indicated that they expect to balance the situation in the negotiation of the general wage agreement (Agreement for Employment and Collective Bargaining) with CEOE and Cepyme. They criticize the lack of progress and raise the possibility of “mobilizations” if results do not arrive soon. Furthermore, they are open to demanding a new increase in the interprofessional minimum wage this year if inflation continues to escalate.
The unionists have also asked the Government for “agility” to unblock pending measures, such as strengthening time registration or reforming occupational risk prevention. And they applauded the deployment of the extraordinary regularization of foreigners, while also demanding more public resources to face the process.
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