The industrial estates in the south of the Community of Madrid have begun this Wednesday a general strike in a climate of calm, despite the call from the main trade unions to back the work stoppage. Rain has marked the start of the day, with peaceful information pickets positioned at the entrances to some of the most relevant companies in the area.
In the La Carpetanía Industrial Estate, where the facilities of the aerospace company Airbus are located, the first hours of the day have passed normally. However, the early arrival of more employees at first hour has been noticed, with the aim of avoiding coinciding with pickets at the entrance to the companies.
In the case of Airbus, around two dozen workers affiliated with CCOO have gathered at the northern access of the complex, under constant supervision by four vans of the Policía Nacional. Marta and Marina, union spokespeople, told Europa Press that they were surprised by the police deployment. "We don't understand it very well," they acknowledged.
As for the strike’s follow-up, both assessed positively that Airbus’s production remained halted since the last shift the previous night and that hardly any employee had entered the plant during the morning. At the same time, they emphasized that the socioeconomic context of a large part of the workforce is delicate.
In a strike called due to the housing situation, low wages, and the high cost of living, they pointed out that there are workers at the company and subcontractors who, due to their precariousness, are not in conditions to join the strike. "It's more difficult for them to be able to join because they can't give up today's income," both CC.OO spokespeople elaborated, who around 7:30 a.m. received the column of workers who spent the night marching through Getafe and whose route will end at midday at the demonstration.
The arrival of dozens of people at Airbus’s main entrance constituted the only moment of some tension during the morning, by prompting the movement of more police vans to about a dozen. Officers from the Unidad de Intervención Policial remained alert to how the protest was evolving, although at no time were there signs of a possible charge and the relationship with the demonstrators was one of complete understanding.
The main class unions have called for a general strike this Wednesday, the first one held in Spain in the last 14 years, to denounce the state of housing, the rising cost of living and insufficient wages, a dispute that erupts after the eviction of Maricarmen and the mass protest by the Sindicato de Inquilinas that began in mid-September.