The May 1st commemorative day in Catalonia has been marked by demands for labor improvements, with special attention to teaching and healthcare staff. However, the annual event has brought together a wide range of social and political concerns, reflecting the complexity of the current context.
Under the slogan «Against wars and fascism, more rights and more unionism», the demonstrations called by CCOO and UGT began at 11:30 AM in Barcelona, with simultaneous concentrations in several Catalan cities such as Reus, Terrassa, Girona, Tarragona, Lleida, and Tortosa.
“"We fight for a recovery of the purchasing power of wages that can face inflation, on the one hand, and the increasingly damaging price of housing, on the other."
The trade union organizations, representing nearly 50,000 delegates throughout the Catalan territory, have emphasized the need to strengthen the social safety net to mitigate the economic impact of the war in the Middle East. Among their demands, they highlight the call for decent wages and the transformation of housing, so that it ceases to be an «element of speculation».
One of the most recurrent demands has been the reduction of the working day, an issue that has gained strength in recent years but, on this occasion, arrives without prospects of advancing in the Congress of Deputies after the rejection by a political formation. The unions have also defended that «being sick is not a crime», in reference to the debate on the «criminalization» of sick leave promoted by employers.
For its part, USOC has organized marches under the slogan «Humanize work», demanding a «general and widespread improvement» of wages and an increase in social welfare, given the constant rise in the cost of living. Other unions have also scheduled numerous acts of protest and denunciation throughout the country.
