The UGT union has announced a nationwide strike for Saturday, May 23, aimed at all workers of companies included in the future collective agreement for large companies in the textile and footwear sector, with the aim of showing "their repulsion" towards the text agreed upon by employers and other unions.
As the organization pointed out in a statement, this protest responds to the pre-agreement signed on March 23 by the employers' association ARTE together with CCOO and Fetico. UGT has decided to call for the work stoppage, understanding that the document "eliminates rights" and causes "immense" inequality between territories.
The union emphasizes that this call constitutes a "historic event" for the textile and footwear sector, as a strike affecting the entire Spanish territory has never occurred before.
UGT explains that the coexistence of multiple territorial agreements means that the reduction of rights is not homogeneous and depends on each province. Although they acknowledge that in some areas salary improvements and a reduction in working hours are achieved, they warn that there is a step backward in paid leave, temporary disability (IT) supplements, vacation periods, or hiring conditions.
Likewise, the organization details that the pay differences will be incorporated into an "ad personam supplement" that can be absorbed and compensated in the future, which, in their opinion, "will mean a loss of purchasing power in the medium term" as salaries will cease to evolve.
UGT also rejects the incorporation of new workers with "inferior economic conditions." It considers that the simultaneous application of the territorial agreement for part of the workforce and the ARTE agreement for another will generate internal duality and a "business incentive to replace workers with greater seniority and cost."
On the other hand, the union denounces that the application of the ARTE state agreement is being imposed once provincial agreements expire, something it describes as an "illegitimate restriction of collective autonomy." According to UGT, the signatory parties have even made a commitment that prevents the negotiation of collective agreements "of a lower scope."
Another of the most controversial elements is the obligation to work on Sundays and commercial opening holidays "if the essential staff is not guaranteed". This formula, warns UGT, leaves the decision in the hands of business "arbitrariness", when until now in many territories participation in these days was "fully voluntary".
Finally, the union organization reproaches Fetico for defending "the interests of employers" and regrets that CCOO delegates have supported a "partial" pre-agreement that, according to their calculations, cuts rights for more than 200,000 workers in the sector.