Transformer trade unionism rejects the labour reform proposed by the Spanish State Government

Joint statement by transformer trade unionism against the labour reform proposal:

The trade unions signing this communiqué reject the State Government’s labour reform and the violation of its commitment when repealing the reform, as this Government has also done with other promises made to citizens.

The agreement reached within the social dialogue framework including the Government, the UGT and CCOO trade unions and the employers’ association, CEOE does not repeal Rajoy’s 2012 labour reform or the 2010 labour reform brought in by Zapatero’s Government. The Government’s main priority in order to attract employers to the agreement has been to grant the latter the right to veto. In the same way, the lack of pressure and mobilisation by the signatory trade unions has brought about a Labour Reform that is tailor-made to the interests of the employers’ associations.

We would like to put special emphasis on the fact that this labour reform proposal does not contemplate steps to correct the nationalisation of the collective bargaining imposed by the labour reforms of 2010 and 2012, by which the sectorial agreements made in our territories will continue to be subordinated to State agreements. The State negotiating framework has been proved to be less combative and the enshrinement that this reform makes of this framework is an attempt to mitigate all trade union struggles being fought in the territories.

At the same time, it seems very serious to us that the labour reform proposal does not modify the regulations established by the 2012 labour reform on the subject of dismissal. As we have seen in recent years, the employers’ associations have used this report to unilaterally dismiss workers, without any guarantee or defence for them. Therefore, this reform perpetuates the lack of job security on the labour market, while the employers will always have the weapon of dismissal in their hands to put pressure on their workers.

It is important to remember that the labour reform proposal is adapted to the demands made from Brussels and the blackmail it is using in order to be able to access the European Funds. As we denounced at the time, the European Commission’s Economic Funds are not for the working classes to be able to face up to the consequences of the crisis generated by COVID-19 with dignity. These funds are nothing more than financial aid for the large corporations to be able to face up to the structural changes they need to tackle and also, as this labour reform shows, they are subordinated to the application by the governments of some economic policies that benefit the elite classes.

This non-repeal of the labour reform and the continuous violations of their promises by the State Government show the limits of the social dialogue framework and of the political framework used by the Spanish State. If the most progressive government of the Spanish State does not have the capacity to repeal the labour reform, nor to enact policies to benefit the working and popular classes, it is clear that the only route for a change of model, also for the State’s working class, is for the people to exercise their the right to decide, to ensures that it is the people who freely and democratically decide on our future and of course, also our socio-economic model.

Signed: Confederación Intersindical Galega, Central Unitaria de Traballadoras de Galiza, Colectivo Unitario de Trabajadoras y Trabajadores Aragón, Corriente Sindical d’izquierdas Asturies, ELA Euskal Sindikatua, ESK Euskal Herria, Coordinadora Obrera Sindical Països Catalans, Intersindical Alternativa de Catalunya, Intersindical Canaria, Intersindical de Catalunya, Intersindical Valenciana, LAB Sindikatua Euskal Herria, Sindicato Andaluz de Trabajadores y Trabajadoras, Sendicato d'os Treballadors e Treballadoras d'Aragon-Sindicato Obrero Aragones, STEI Balears.