ELA will back Industry and Construction for a sharing out of the wealth in view of the growing business profits

The ELA-Industria eta Eraikuntza (Industry and Construction) congress held in the Palacio Europa of Gasteiz under the slogan ‘Eraldaketa aktibatu’ (‘Activate change’) approved four resolutions: in collective bargaining the sharing out of wealth will be championed with agreements above the CPI; the propaganda by the Basque and Navarra Governments will be denounced as a replacement for a true industrial policy; the fight against the gender wage gap will be doubled and the discriminations due to gender; and the organisation and trade unionisation of the work centres will be endorsed. This Federation has 38,364 affiliates.

In total, 320 congress-goers (of 342) gave their backing to the Federation’s line, and they have also re-elected (with a percentage of votes in favour of 94.4%) Unai Martínez as the General Secretary, and the rest of the Permanent Commission, made up of another six people with the following responsibilities:

* Unai Martinez Azarola: General Secretary. Donostia. Construcción de Gipuzkoa
* Mikel Etxebarria Campos: Tenders. Ibaizabal Nerbioi eta Bilbo. Construcción de Bizkaia.
* Irati Bañuelos Ruiz de Erentxun: Urola-Kosta and Nafarroa
*Arrate Elkoro Zengotitabengoa: Gender equality. International. Ezkerraldea-Kadagua and Deba
*Sergio Vazquez De la Fuente: Eskumaldea and Gernika Durango
*Esther Arruti Roteta: Oarso-Bidasoa and Oria-Goierri
*Hodei Blasko Otsoa: Gasteiz.

Unai Martínez emphasised in his speech that “job insecurity continues to be imposed in Construction and furthermore, we are being sold a 4.0 Industry, but without any labour rights. Is this the future? ELA is fighting to make this future different.” Likewise, he recalled that “collective bargaining is the instrument that the working class has to obtain a sharing out of wealth and therefore, obtaining salary increments that are above the CPI is a goal, as well as reductions in the working day.”

On the other hand, Martínez underscored in particular ELA’s fight for an “industry and construction without discrimination; the gender wage gap continues to be there, with lower salaries in the more female-dominated sectors (textile and food industry, for example). Also, in the Metal or Paper workshops, women are rarely hired.”
Martínez also denounced that “there is no industrial policy here; the governments just turn out propaganda. The decisions are made increasingly far away; here is the example of Gamesa: public money, private profits and now Siemens will decide.”

Lakuntza: “The governments are working for the multinationals”

The General Secretary of ELA, Mitxel Lakuntza, also took part in the ELA-Industria eta Eraikuntza Congress, where he harshly criticised the employment policy, both of the Basque and of the Navarra Governments: “The governments’ priorities involve lowing taxes for the companies as much as possible and putting the industrial policy at the disposal of the multinationals. We have been seeing for some time that the production model must be transformed. It must be decided what, where and how to produce. And to do this public leadership is needed,” he added.

However, as Lakuntza indicated, “our governments have taken the other route; they have sold and abandoned public companies such as Euskaltel, La Naval or Gamesa”.

Accordingly, Lakuntza recalled the case of Mercedes: “What has happened at Mercedes? Urkullu’s government once again decided to give in to a multinational’s blackmail. It is serious because it was done without talking to the staff, with a specific goal: to make the working conditions insecure in exchange for public money. What they call a memorandum, is full of generalities, but it is clear that Mercedes rules the roost here and that the Deputation of Alava and the Basque Government are working for them.”

The General Secretary of ELA denounced “the private investments that a company must face up to in order to continue with its activity are going to be paid with public money and additionally, worsening working conditions. And after this, they ask the trade unions to act responsibly. But ELA will not accept blackmail. We are going to defend employment and working conditions, whatever the cost!”