- It is the second day of strike in the public sector of Araba, Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa since 25 October. The trade unions ELA, LAB, CCOO, Steilas, SATSE and ESK have called 150,000 public sector workers out on the streets and have stressed that some 27,000 workers have joined in the midday demonstrations. As far as budgets are concerned, they are calling for public services, salaries and employment to be agreed here.
In order to strengthen public services, under the motto Pactar here wage and employment, the unions have called 150,000 workers to the streets and, in general, to negotiate the salaries and needs of the public sector in the CAPV. The most massive demonstrations took place at noon, at 11:30, in the capitals. According to the unions, some 27,000 workers have come out to report the decline in public services. The aim is to ensure lost purchasing power, to reduce the temporary rate from 40% to 8%, to put an end to privatisation and to develop plans to ensure “real euskaldunisation”.
The trade unions acknowledge that thanks to the strike and the mobilizations of October "little progress" has been made, but they have asked two main requests to the "Basque political parties": to prioritize the demands of the workers in the budgets to be voted for Araba, Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa on 21 December, "because today in Madrid there is no budgetary constraint imposed"; and in the budgets to be voted for Basque
The workers have begun to perform information pickets in the workplaces in the morning, and according to the statements of the unions, the “very extensive” response to educational centres, health, administration, transport and public services in general is “very broad”: in the media and in public transport a “almost total strike” is taking place in the first few hours; in non-university and university public education it also seems that the strike is going to be closely monitored. They add that in Osakidetza the continuity of the strike will be conditioned by the minimum services. In this regard, they have denounced that thousands of workers “have denied the right to strike”, since in many services the minimum services are 100%.
Minimum services
- Transport. 30% of regular services.
- Health and surveillance. In primary care, as on Saturdays, 100% in the emergency room and 50% in telephone care. In residences and day centers 50% and in night shifts 100%.
- Education. The centres must be opened with at least one director and one teacher.
- Others. Like holidays.