ELA extends its majority in the trade union elections of the Autonomous Region of the Basque Country, closing 2018 with 41.04%

Feb 14, 2019

ELA confirms its wide majority amongst the Basque working classes after the first leg of the concentrated period of trade union elections, since the official data at the close of 2018 gives ELA 41.04% of the total representation in the Autonomous Region of the Basque Country (ARBC); 1,16 points more than at the end of 2014 (39.88%). Therefore, ELA is the trade union that has grown most over these four years in the ARBC. Amaia Muñoa and Joseba Villarreal, deputy general secretary and person in charge of trade union elections, respectively, took part in the press conference.

ELA is growing in all the territories: Araba, Bizkaia, Gipuzkoa and Navarra. Additionally, it is growing in the three federations (Industria eta Eraikuntza, Zerbitzuak and Gizalan). Once again, en masse the workers have decided to support ELA’s candidacies.

An important point worth mentioning is that 38.66% of ELA’s delegates in South Euskal Herria are women; 39.48% in the ARBC and 34.18% in Navarra, making up an important voice in the representation as a whole, which backs and consolidates the trade union’s work towards real gender equality and the struggle against the pay gap.

ELA understands these results as a boost for its class and national project which, amongst other points, is seeking: a fairer society facing up to neoliberal policies, the organisational work to eliminate job insecurity and the left-wing drive towards sovereignty.

While the majority of the Basque working classes are backing a counterweight trade union model, the Basque Government is supporting the trade unions that obtained the worst results (CCOO and UGT) in order to impose its anti-democratic Round Table for Social Dialogue. Yesterday, Urkullu’s Government started up the institutionalisation of social dialogue, with trade union participation that does not even represent 30%. Once again Urkullu’s Government has decided to push forward policies that go against working class interests. The Basque Government cannot hide the reality in order to neutralise the ideas it does not like: the democratic quality of any government is measured by how it treats those who oppose its policies.

ELA would like to thank the thousands of people who have given them their votes and their trust, at the same time as publicly evaluating the work by ELA’s members, which has made these historic results possible. ELA shows, once again, its determination to faithfully follow its slogan “Zurekin goaz. With all our strength”, to boost and accompany workers’ fights to improve their standards of living.