The general secretaries of CCOO and UGT HuelvaJulia Perea and Sebastián Donaire, have presented this Wednesday at a press conference the demonstrations of May 1, International Day of Working Peoplewhich will take place throughout Spain under the slogan ‘Raise Wages, Lower Prices, Share Benefits’.
Both unions have put on the table the main demands for this day and have called on the population to participate in the demonstration that will leave at 11:00 am from Plaza Doce de Octubre towards Paseo Santa Fe.
The general secretary of CCOO Huelva has emphasized how high inflation “is severely punishing a province in which its workers have the second lowest average salary in Spain with an average salary of 15,200 euros per year.” Perea has stressed that “in our province of every 10 workers, 6 receive a salary below the Minimum Interprofessional Wage, with women being the most affected since their average salary barely reaches 12,000 euros per year.”
Likewise, Julia Perea has highlighted that on May 1st the unions want to “value the policies carried out by the central government to combat the high rates of inflation, as well as the agreements reached by the coalition government with the economic agents and social with the ERTE, the increase in the SMI, the recovery of unemployment benefits, the equality plans, the Rider Law and two key agreements that have improved the labor relations model and the lives of millions of people in this country, in Andalusia and Huelva such as the Labor Reform and the pension reform agreement, which in our province benefits 107,000 pensioners who have been guaranteed an improvement in their purchasing power”.
At this point, Perea has underlined the impact that the Labor Reform is having in Huelva thanks to which “recruitment has taken a 90 degree turn, going from 98% temporary to 40% temporary”. However, the trade unionist stressed that “the high rate of temporary and long-term contracts continues to be very worrying.”
The CCOO makes an appeal to the companies because they are directly responsible for the economy and employment not growing more and faster “the unsupportive and irresponsible attitude of the business community in this country is unacceptable, obtaining multimillion-dollar benefits at the cost of raising the exorbitant prices, refuses to raise wages”.
It is time to say “enough is enough, we cannot agree that, in 2022, according to data from the Bank of Spain, companies will close their income statements with an increase in profits of around 90%, the CPI by 8.5 %, while the average agreed in the sectoral agreements in Huelva was 2.8%, therefore, there has been a 6-point loss in wages for Huelva workers” Julia Perea has added
Finally, the general secretary of the CCOO Huelva demands the Government of the Junta de Andalucía to put into operation now “the Pact that we have signed for the promotion of Andalusia, which includes an anti-inflation plan with measures for working families and the companies that will make it possible to face the effects of the rise in prices in Andalusia, one of the communities in which the shopping cart has increased the most, reaching exorbitant prices”.
For Secretary General of UGT Huelva, Sebastián Donaire, this May Day we value and consolidate the achievements of recent years, which are not recognized as they should be from a political point of view. He has also stated that it is very necessary to consolidate the labor reform, since in our province it has led to an increase in permanent contracts from 4% in 2021 to 53% today. We have to promote other important issues such as the price of dismissal or the right to decent housing, with more medium and long-term measures aimed at a public and social housing stock.
This May Day, Donaire affirms that it has to be a requirement for employers to locate the employment needs they have and to improve the conditions of workers and workers. Today we demand more and better jobs, a job opportunity for unemployed people, an increase in wages, the need to lower prices and that companies distribute the benefits they are generating.
In this sense, the trade unionist has assured that we will continue with the mobilizations if a new AENC is not signed before the summer, inflation is ruining many families, there are many people who have difficulties making ends meet. Last year we reached almost 11% of the CPI, and the curious thing is that the CPI rate is always higher in Andalusia than in the rest of Spain. In Huelva we have 39,267 unemployed people and to this we must add that Huelva is the second province with the lowest average salary in Spain, worsening much more in women.
We have managed to raise the SMI by 64% in the last 7 years to reach 1,080 euros in 2023, we have also managed to raise pensions by 8.5% and guarantee the future without cuts. From UGT we ask the Government that at the end of its legislature the SMI rise to 1,150 euros. The rise in the SMI has led to a 3% reduction in the wage gap. That is why we insist that people must be the center of policies, he explained.
On the other hand, Donaire wanted to point out that given the situation of drought in which we find ourselves and are suffering “there is an urgent need to complete the works on the Alcolea dam and also the Trigueros canal.” Which is not an obstacle to continue claiming other infrastructures of importance for the development of our province such as road infrastructures and sanitary infrastructures.”
It is very necessary to continue implementing social policies and preserve fundamental public services for citizens, such as health, education or justice”, Donaire concluded.
For CCOO and UGT this May 1st will be a turning point. If wages are not raised there will be more social conflict in the streets.
