Hundreds of people demonstrated yesterday afternoon in the center of Barcelona against the labor reform proposed by the Spanish government and demanded a “true” repeal of those of 2010 and 2012. Convened by the Catalan Trade Union Board – where unions such as CGT are represented , IAC, CNT, Cobas, Cos i Solidaritat Obrera – the demonstrators moved from Jardinets de Gràcia to the headquarters of Foment de Treball, completely shielded by the police. The conveners criticized the position of CCOO and UGT and accused PSOE and Podemos of failing to fulfill an electoral commitment. In addition, they called on all left-wing organizations to oppose this reform, which is due to be voted on in Congress on February 3.
The general secretary of CGT Catalunya, Ermengol Gassiot, said that the new reform would consolidate the previous ones and considered that “there is an alternative”. In this sense, he recalled that in 2012 all unions were against labor reform and therefore called on CCOO and UGT to defend again what they defended then.
“Here are the fools”
Similarly, the Secretary General of Workers’ Solidarity, Miguel Angel González, considered that the two formations had ceased to be unions for years and became “labor consultants”. He also added that no real union can afford the “big” attack on the text. “Here are the fools,” he said in response to words from CCOO Secretary-General Unai Sordo, who called on the left not to “make a fool of himself” and support the reform.
In addition, participants in the protest accused the two ruling parties in the state of failing to comply with the plan to repeal the reform. Thus, González criticized the “deception” of the state executive and said that the alternative unions feel “betrayed”. He also recalled that the government has gotten to where it is because part of society and the working class supported them for the “failed promise” of repeal. The union spokesman encouraged Catalonia to work for a general strike.