We workers are used to not being given anything. The Government's agreement with the employers, the leaderships of CCOO and UGT and the European Union, approved by the minimum with a telematic "error" included, on February 3 in the Congress of Deputies, is no exception. Beyond the propaganda, the truth is that the Government fails to fulfill its promises and abandons its commitment to repeal the labor reform of the Popular Party that has plunged the workers of the Spanish state into the greatest job insecurity in memory. This new reform reinforces the central pillars of the labor reforms imposed by Zapatero's PSOE first, opening the way to the loss of labor rights and Mariano Rajoy later.
It is incomprehensible that PSOE and Unidas Podemos have so lightly renounced their commitment in a public document to repeal the labor reform, we believe that the deception towards workers is one that makes history.
It is a lost opportunity, it is a broken commitment, it is a capitulation to one of the parties - the employers - and to Brussels, a capitulation that maintains precarious conditions in exchange for aid in the form of Next Generation funds, large yes, but that will basically remain in the hands of a handful of multinationals, of large corporations, but that will not reach the working class, nor will they be used to improve the lives of the social majority.
With this agreement, compensation for dismissal or processing salaries are not recovered, the administrative authorization of collective dismissals (ERE) is not recovered, flexibility for objective dismissals is maintained, the priority of the sectoral agreement over the company agreement is not recovered, except in the salary issue. The ultra-activity of the agreements is partially recovered, but that does not imply maintaining the purchasing power of the majority of the working class, since today only 14% of workers are included in agreements that have a clause that guarantees the salary increase at the same level as the CPI, unlike 2008, where 70% of employees were included. This "non-reform" continues to allow the company to unilaterally carry out substantial modifications of working conditions. As recognized from Aznar, Ana
Botín (Santander) to the president of the CEOE employers, Antonio Garamendi, this agreement does not touch the basic pillars of the previous reforms, therefore this cannot be considered an advance in any way.
It is an illusion to consider that it is possible to improve working conditions by allowing employers to have the right to veto labor legislation. The famous "social consensus" means renouncing to establish a more favorable legislation towards the working class: there is a parliamentary and social majority that could have allowed progress and reverse the setbacks imposed for decades. In a context of economic and ecological crisis such as the current one, promoting courageous legislation in favor of the working class and that reduces business power is the least we can demand from a government that calls itself the most progressive in history.
Member of the Canal Gestión company committee representing the General Confederation of Labor (CGT).
