The president of Vox, Santiago Abascal, argues that UGT and CCOO should call off the general strike scheduled for November 11 because it "makes no sense" and has warned that, "if they don’t have the shame to do it," his party "will take note" in the event of a "change of cycle" after the general elections on the 29th.
"They should suspend it because it makes no sense to hold a general strike against the opposition," Abascal said in an interview on 'El Programa de AR' on 'Telecinco', collected by Europa Press. In this context, he brought up the statements of the former first deputy prime minister and former Minister of Finance, María Jesús Montero, who pointed out that the general strike over housing was called against the opposition.
The leader of Vox has insisted that they "should have at least some shame" and has reiterated that, if the unions calling for it "don’t have it," his group "will take note if there is a change of cycle in Spain" after the general elections.
Marxist and communist unions
Vox’s electoral program includes the abolition of public subsidies to unions, while the party itself has an affiliated union organization, Solidaridad. In the interview, Abascal took aim at UGT and CCOO, which he described as "ideological unions, of a Marxist and communist slant" and believes that "they answer to ideological issues and not to the interests of workers."
He also emphasized that they are not the only central bodies that exist in the country: "There are many in many areas, in the public sector too, even workers’ unions." Along these lines, he suggested that UGT and CCOO will increase "intimidation and pressure in the streets" if the right-wing bloc achieves a majority after the elections of November 29.
"I have no doubt that if Spaniards want a change, those who have been serving the Government with their silence will also serve with intimidation and with pressure in the streets," the Vox leader said.
Abascal has linked these warnings to protests that have ended in incidents, arrests, and injuries at some of his party’s pre-campaign events, whose organization he attributes to the Executive, and which, in his view, constitute "a foretaste."
Audits if Vox reaches Government
At another point in the interview, Abascal has underscored that, if Vox reaches La Moncloa, it will order "audits and comprehensive reviews" to know the real state of public accounts and sensitive data such as those relating to immigration.
"We will end up finding out everything, I have no doubt," he said, urging the PP to "not look the other way" and "not say 'sweep it under the rug'" just because a change of government takes place.
In his view, the Executive of Pedro Sánchez must assume "all political and criminal responsibilities". "There cannot be a government that, for political peace or for peace between parties, looks the other way," he emphasized.
As for the weight Vox could have in a future Executive, he said that it will depend on support at the ballot box. However, he warned that first the PP and Vox must add up to a majority, something he "does not take for granted" despite polling projections.
Support for train drivers' strikes
For her part, Vox's spokesperson in the Congress, Pepa Rodríguez de Millán, also lashed out at UGT and CCOO and called for backing the strikes by railway train drivers after the Urda (Toledo) accident.
Rodríguez de Millán insisted that "the only thing" those unions "are good for"—whom she described as "paniaguados" and "satellites of the PSOE"—is "for the interests of the Government". "It has been demonstrated because they have been silent for eight years and now they come out to a demonstration against the opposition," she added.
Along these lines, she recalled that coalition executives of PP and Vox in different autonomous communities have already begun to cut subsidies to the unions.