CCOO and UGT in Andalusia have reported a "high degree of follow-through" during the first hours of the strike called in the community, a day of general stoppage with which they demand decent wages, real access to housing and "strong" public services.
The general secretary of CCOO in Andalusia, Nuria López, has denounced that "abusive minimum services are being carried out by the different authorities," pointing in particular to the Ministry of Employment, Enterprise and Self-Employment. From the first hour, UGT Andalusia has started the protest with a picket of delegates from UGT Public Services in front of the Ministry of Justice, an action in which the general secretary of UGT Andalusia, Oskar Martín, has taken part.
Martín has explained that the strike aims to drive "deep changes in economic and social policies." In his view, "the social model of this country needs important changes, changes that look at the working class and that provide real solutions to people's day-to-day problems: wages, working conditions, access to housing and the recovery of purchasing power."
CCOO Andalusia has cited the case of stevedoring in the port of Algeciras (Cádiz) as an example, where it claims that support is being at 100%, while in the first shift of the Andalusian industry it puts follow-through at around 70%. In the agro-industry of the province of Seville, the unions estimate participation at 90%, and point out that in the collection of municipal waste in Seville, Granada, Cádiz and Huelva only minimum services are being provided.
With these figures on the table, Nuria López has wanted to stress the scope of the call. "To those who said that the strike was not going to go well, you have to remind them that working people have enough reasons to support this strike and they are showing it, because we have to talk about housing and regulate it; we have to talk about increasing services and capping the prices of the grocery basket; and we have to talk about the privatization they are carrying out of public services," the leader of CCOO-A stressed.
On the other hand, Oskar Martín has put the focus on the rising cost of housing, which he considers one of the main brakes to be able to develop a vital project, especially among the young population. "We need decent and affordable housing so that society, especially the young people in this country, can have a future," he said. He also highlighted the organization’s concern about workplace accidents and recalled that Andalusia has already added more than a hundred deaths from workplace accidents so far this year. "The issue of occupational health, with more than 107 people who have died in Andalusia, is another more than sufficient reason to have called this strike," he added.
The general secretary of UGT Andalucía has also shown his concern about the impact of inflation on households and has called for measures so that economic growth translates effectively into improved living conditions. As for the development of the day, Martín made a favorable assessment of the participation recorded in the first hours and highlighted the activity of the information pickets in different key points in Seville. As he explained, the strike is being backed with high percentages in numerous sectors and workplaces, including Mercasevilla and the transport services, where union representatives have carried out information tasks during the early hours of the morning and the start of the morning.
"Society has said enough. We are facing a social outcry that calls for solutions and real changes for the working class," he said. Martín emphasized that minimum services are being complied with and that the day is unfolding without notable incidents and with responsibility. "Minimum services are being covered, as is logical. The strike is going well, in a responsible manner, and our delegates are also informing those who decide to exercise their right to work," he explained.
The union leader stressed that the call not only aims to respond to the current emergencies of the working class, but also to take on the commitment to ensure better living conditions for the next generations. As he concluded, today is a key date "to sow the future of the rights of our society. We have to make an exercise in responsibility with this generation and with the generations that will come after."