2023-05-06 18:08:00
Image of a demonstration of employees of the passenger transport sector in front of the Santiago bus station held last month Tania Valencia
The employers agreed with the unions on salary improvements and the assemblies vote now whether or not to call off the strike
06 may 2023 . Updated at 11:19 p.m.
The workers’ assemblies passenger transport sector are divided on the approval of the preacuerdo achieved this morning between employer y unions. While those of Pontevedra and Ourense have rejected it, those of Vigo, Santiago, A Corua and Lugo have approved it. It remains to be seen now what they will decide in Ferrol. Once the majority decision in that city is known, the unions will review the votes and decide whether or not to maintain the strike called for midnight on May 8 and that It touches the interurban transport, the metropolitan, the school and the urban buses of cities like Santiago and Lugo. And on the question of whether strikes could be held by cities or provinces, sources from CC.OO. They clarified that the strike had been called at the Galician level and, logically, it would be called off or not also at the community level. This does not mean that later other strikes can be called at another level.
Reaching the preliminary agreement was not easy. The meeting this morning was intense, according to sources from the unions, but in the end the two parties managed to turn the negotiation 180 degrees after accepting the employers’ association, with the mediation of the Galician Labor Relations Councilto make some salary improvements that should be made effective this year and that the negotiating table in Galicia remains open to discuss the many issues that, beyond economic issues, still remain to be discussed.
Union sources confirmed to Europa Press before the assemblies were held, what they agreed on was a rapprochement on economic matters, what the workers need most, suffering from a significant loss of purchasing power.
The proposal made goes through recover the purchasing power lost this year and not in a period of five years as they intended before. A few days ago, the employer recognized the loss of purchasing power of 12.3% during 2021 and 2022, a percentage to which 2% would have to be added in Lugo. The pre-agreement includes a rise of 12.2% this year plus the increase in the real CPI of 2023 in 2024.
All in all, this is the first step in a negotiation that will remain open and that will probably still bring many upheavals. The workers in the sector still have to resolve issues related to the organization of work days, as well as other types of working or safety conditions. It must not be forgotten that provincial agreements have been frozen for years.
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