Pepe Álvarez, general secretary of UGT, expects Catalonia to register one of the widest strikes during Wednesday's general strike, although the union does not have a specific follow-up figure.
The general secretary of UGT, Pepe Álvarez, believes that Catalonia will be one of the regions where the general strike on Wednesday is most noticeable. He stated this on Monday in Barcelona, accompanied by the general secretary of the union in Catalonia, Camil Ros, as reported by pressdigital.es.
“If there is a region where there is a conviction that this needs to be done, it is the Catalan community.”
Álvarez acknowledged that there is no expected percentage of participation, but he spoke of a widespread social consensus regarding the reasons for the protest. He estimated that around 72% of citizens believe there are reasons to call for a strike in Spain, and warned that this figure will drop “a little” in actual participation due to fear of losing wages.
The union will set up a website for workers to report violations of rights by their companies. UGT will publish the names of the affected companies and, if the worker wishes, will take the cases to the Labour Inspectorate.
Regarding housing decrees, Álvarez anticipated that their vote in the Permanent Deputation of Congress, scheduled for November 12, will be “possibly the first victory” of the mobilization. According to his analysis, the debate on housing has just begun and, regardless of who wins, it will need to be addressed.
The union leader linked the strike to the loss of purchasing power despite wage increases from agreements and the Minimum Interprofessional Wage. He stated that no agreement can compensate for the rising cost of housing or the deficiencies in public services.
Among his demands, he called for wage increases and a major state pact on housing that freezes and regulates rents, as well as limiting investment funds and tourist rentals. He also urged the central government, regions, and municipalities to invest at least 1% of GDP over the next 10 years in social housing.
When asked about the words of the president of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, who referred to UGT and CC.OO. as a “union mafia,” Álvarez responded firmly.
“Ms. Ayuso is not in a position to give lessons, neither on mafia nor anything else.”
According to the general secretary, unions are elected by the vast majority of workers in the union elections in Madrid and Catalonia, and he called for the same respect for them.
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