The general secretaries of CCOO and UGT, Unai Sordo and Pepe Álvarez, have predicted a major turnout for the general strike planned for November 11, saying support is continuing to grow and insisting that the protests will be peaceful.
Speaking before an assembly attended by 2,500 delegates from both unions in Cornellà de Llobregat, Barcelona, Álvarez said the strike had entered its final stretch and would mark a turning point. He also predicted widespread participation across Baix Llobregat and Catalonia, describing the action as a democratic and reivindicative mobilisation.
Sordo said CCOO had the backing of 700 works councils in Catalonia. The union reported 3,400 endorsements across Spain, while Carme Arcarazo of the Sindicat de Llogateres said more than 4,000 works councils had joined when support gathered by CGT, Intersindical, CCOO, UGT and the Confederation of Tenants’ Unions was combined. The incorporation of Seat in Baix Llobregat was highlighted as an important recent development.
The strike’s main demands are centred on wages, housing and prices. Álvarez said it was also directed at the CEOE, which he accused of delaying an agreement on collective bargaining that would allow wage increases. CCOO’s secretary general in Catalonia, Belén López, similarly criticised Foment del Treball, calling for better salaries and an end to unpaid overtime.
The unions said rents and housing costs had risen much faster than wages over the past decade. Sordo also linked the mobilisation to the defence of public services and called for stronger infrastructure and a renewed commitment to public provision.
Asked about the possibility of disturbances, Álvarez said the unions were organising non-violent actions and would ensure that the strike took place in conditions of full safety. He also called for effective police action against online calls to commit offences and said security measures should be put in place ahead of November 11.
Sources: elDiario.es.