It is the start of the mobilizations that the unions had announced to put pressure on the employers and get them to sit down to negotiate the salary increase. The first batch of performances already has a date. It will start on October 7 with concentrations in front of the employers' headquarters, will continue with informative assemblies in work centers and will culminate with a demonstration in Madrid on November 3.
A calendar of mobilizations detailed this morning by the general secretaries of the UGT, Pepe Álvarez, and CC.OO., Unai Sordo, who have accused the CEOE of blocking the Agreement for Employment and Collective Bargaining (AENC), which is the framework that serves as a reference for the negotiation of the different agreements. Everything stopped since May. According to the unions, by an employer that does not move.
"The only one that has not moved is the CEOE... we carry out the mobilizations forced by the intransigence of the employers, who only think about earning a little more," said Pepe Álvarez. "We have had enough of making proposals... the CEOE does not reach an agreement because the employers are used to getting out of the crisis with salary devaluation and job destruction... you cannot get out of another crisis via salary devaluation", added Unai Sordo.
The unions are willing to stagger the recovery of the purchasing power of the workers in three years, until the end of 2024, but without accepting loss of purchasing power. At least, in the current position, before the start of negotiations. What they remember is that if the starting position of the unions in May was a salary increase of 3.4% for this year, with the escalation of inflation the figure falls short, and now, as Unai Sordo has specified, could be around 4.5%. Percentage to which a salary guarantee clause should be added based on inflation, which is the element that the CEOE flatly refuses to accept.
The unions support their arguments by comparing the 2.8% increase in the average salary in the agreement this year, with 10% year-on-year inflation and even, and even with underlying inflation above 6%. His thesis is that the employers' refusal to negotiate will have consequences, not only of an intense wage devaluation, but also of an increase in the wage gap and also, that by reducing the strength of domestic consumption, it will harm the economic recovery.
It is in this area that they have demanded that, if the blockade continues, that the Government adopt offensive fiscal policies to better redistribute wealth. In this field, a minimum of 15% of the corporate tax would enter.
