Economy

STRIKE

EITB.EUS

The unions ELA, LAB, CCOO and UGT affirm that the follow-up has been 70-80% and they emphasize that it is a “historical” strike because the Metal sector has mobilized as in the past.

1:18

Some 50,000 workers of the Metal sector in Bizkaia have been called on strike today to denounce the blockade of the negotiation of the collective agreement. Today’s is the first of the five days of strike called by the unions ELA, LAB, CCOO y UGT. If there is no progress, there will be more stoppages on June 6, 7, 20 and 21.

Unions have described as “success” the follow-up of the first day of unemployment, which they have calculated between a 70 and 80% and they have accused the employers’ association FVEM of “despising the workers and ignoring the demands made in the joint union platform.”

On the occasion of the strike, thousands of workers have demonstrated this morning in the streets of Bilbao under the slogan ‘For a dignified agreement. Strike in the metal of Bizkaia ‘.

The demonstration started at 11:30 am from Plaza del Sagrado Corazón and ended in Plaza Euskadi, where the Biscayan Metal Association has its headquarters. Some 10,000 people participated in the march, according to the unions.

Previously, the spokesperson for IS IT OVER THERE, Mikel Etxeberria, has indicated that “the follow-up is still important but, as a first assessment, it must be said that the response of the workers has been massive, taking into account that in the sector in Bizkaia there are companies of very different sizes and characteristics”.

In this sense, it has indicated that there have been “many referential companies that have stopped” and that the strike has been “generalized also in small companies”, and has cited the contracts with Petronor, the Ormazabal and Arteche groups, or Estampaciones Bizkaia.

He also recalled that for a year and a half, the employer “has not wanted to contribute anything to the negotiating table and in the last meeting held with the unions that same employer did not want to know anything about the joint approach that we made.” In addition, it has demanded that FVEM in the next meeting, scheduled for June 3, “provide content that guarantees decent conditions in the sector and can redistribute the wealth that workers are generating with their work.”

Etxebarria reminded FVEM that “if you want to reach a solution and there are no more strikes, respond to the 10 specific points set forth in the joint document signed by the four unions because” the party is there and the employers have the ball on their roof “.

For his part, the representative of CCOO, Iker Gonzalo, he recalled that the Bizkaia Metal sector agreement “is the most powerful that we have in the Basque Country and that, if in 2012 it was proud to have this agreement, today working conditions have lagged far behind other metals such as that of Burgos, Cantabria and even Álava “.

In that sense, he remarked that the sector has been 8 years “without an agreement and the workers have said enough and with the force that is being evidenced in this strike today, let’s hope that the employers will twist their arms and sit down to negotiate in a certain way. real a worthy agreement “.

The spokeswoman for LAB in Metal, Eulate Zilonizaurrekoetxea, has conveyed the “applause and recognition” of his union to all workers because “they have demonstrated their commitment to the search for an agreement and have shown the need to achieve it, with minimum contents that are essential and necessary for this sector” .

“We have much to gain and this day of strike today Metal workers have shown that this day is a beginning that will end with another historic day, such as the signing of the agreement for the sector.”

Finally, the representative of UGT, Jose Maria RojoHe has also described it as a “historic day” for the Biscayan world of work because “Metal has mobilized as it has not done for a long time and we can be proud”.

The convening unions have highlighted that workers of more than 250 companies of metal have joined the strikes. Ultimately, the CNT has supported the struggle and the mobilization, although “the organizers are four unions.”

Trading lock

The workers’ representatives denounce that the negotiation of the collective agreement is blocked. However, despite the call for a strike, the unions have shown willingness to meet with the employers to continue negotiating. The last agreement of the Metal of Bizkaia is from 2011.

The unions demand, among others claims, the payment of arrears since January 1, 2018, increases in the tables and real wages, for each year of validity of CPI + 2, in tables, and of CPI + 1, in real wages.

The employer, for its part, has denied the blockade.

After the strike day this Thursday, the parties will meet on June 3. If there is no progress, they will strike again on June 6, 7, 20 and 21.