The 342 congress-goers have re-elected Unai Martínez as the General Secretary and the rest of the Federation’s Permanent Commission with a 94.4% backing at the Congress held today in Gasteiz. In his speech, Mitxel Lakuntza denounced that “the Basque Government has supported Mercedes to make the working conditions more insecure in exchange for public money.”

The 219 delegates of ELA’s Gizalan Federation have re-elected Igor Eizagirre as the General Secretary of the Federation at the congress held today in Burlada (Nafarroa), with the backing of 94% of the votes issued. Mitxel Lakuntza has demanded a change in taxation and real consolidation processes defending public services. The ELA-Gizalan (Public Services) Congress held at the Casa de Cultura in Burlada (Navarra) under the slogan ‘Guztiona, lehen lerrora’ (‘Above all, common to everyone’) has passed four resolutions amongst which the ones demanding the right to live and work in the Basque Country, guaranteeing some universal, free, high-quality public services (with particular emphasis on the care sectors), as well as the organisational need to systematically face up to the many labour conflicts.

The congress was held today at the Kurssal donostiarra, where 178 people have re-elected Mari Kruz Elkoro as General Secretary of the federation. Mitxel Lakuntza underscored that “there is no lack of staff, as the employers complain, but rather there is an absence of good living and working conditions.”

Mitxel Lakuntza, General Secretary of ELA, and Mikel Noval (Head of the Studies Department) have set forth the need for the urgent passing of a tax reform to raise the taxes on capital and high incomes. Likewise, they have presented the latest report on Taxation carried out by the trade union.

The strike fund has been strategic for ELA over the past 4-5 years, the General Secretary Mitxel Lakuntza affirmed at a press conference offered alongside the trade union’s treasurer, Alazne Mantxola. “Because when there is no capacity for striking, without the strike fund, the agreements the employers want are signed.” For this reason, ELA puts 1 out of every 4 euros from the members’ dues to the strike fund. That is to say, the fund receives 25% of the financial contributions made by the over 100,000 members of the trade union. 2,096 members activated ELA’s strike fund in 2021. The trade union puts one quarter of the member dues in the strike fund.

ELA will act firmly against the strategy set forth by Governments and employers’ associations to impoverish the working class: “Raising salaries is the solution; lowering taxes for companies is the problem”

This 28th of April, the World Day for Safety and Health at Work, ELA following its campaign against insecure jobs, has put the spotlight on job insecurity in health at work borne by the female-dominated sectors and on the lack of gender perspective in the prevention of risks at work policies. Under the slogan “Here the dangerous jobs are uncountable. 311,000 women in insecure jobs,” the trade union has denounced the discrimination and insecurity that many women take on in their jobs and that are not contemplated in any risks at work evaluations.

In view of the dramatic warlike setting that we are facing, ELA wants to show its solidarity with all the victims of this war, particularly with the civil population that is suffering this tragedy. Likewise, we urge solidarity with the refugees, of which there are already over two million. All the people fleeing from wars need reception policies by Europe, a legal obligation for hospitality and protection that cannot depend on the origin or the nationality of the victims.