The general secretary of UGT, Pepe Álvarez, and that of CCOO, Unai Sordo, have assessed the general strike called this Wednesday, November 11, in Spain as a “success” and have stated that the level of participation is exceeding the initial expectations of the trade unions.
From the gathering of information pickets in Plaza de Cibeles in Madrid, both leaders stressed to the media that in few occasions have strikes of the scale of this Wednesday’s been seen in Spain, with an “overwhelming” show of support in territories such as Catalonia, much of the Mediterranean arc, or the Community of Madrid itself.
They also pointed out that the strike is proving “very significant” in industry and in the most unionized sectors. “The strike is very widespread in a large part of our country. And, even though it is uneven due to the motivation for the strike itself, it is a success of the call,” the general secretary of Comisiones Obreras (CCOO), Unai Sordo, emphasized.
The trade union headquarters insisted that citizens “will overflow” the streets in the mobilizations planned for this afternoon, convinced that the social response will be massive.
“People know that today we are risking our right to housing, our right to public services, and our right to decent wages,” the general secretary of UGT stressed, who has asked political parties to “lower the tone, put your ear to it, and listen to the people.”
“Whoever doesn’t listen to the people, on the 29th I think is going to have little to do. Instead of looking at us, let them look at the people,” Álvarez emphasized, warning of the political consequences of ignoring social discontent.
As the unions have emphasized, after this November 11 no government, regardless of who is in power, nor any administration will be able to ignore the “enormous problem” of access to housing or the deep socioeconomic divide involved in the fact that millions of people in Spain, even with a job and an average salary, cannot afford the payment of rent or a mortgage or to leave the family home.