On 4 November a demonstration will be held in Bilbao to denounce the aggression against the normalisation of the Basque country. On Thursday, the main Basque trade unions and various players in the world of work met to join them. They also put forward arguments for the demand for language and labour rights for workers.

Members of ELA, LAB, ESK, CGT/LKN, STEILAS, HIRU, EHNE, Etxalde, Lanartea, OlatuKoop and the EH Pensioners Movement participated in the hearing. The Council Secretary-General, Idurre Eskisabel, has also read the joint statement.

“It is increasingly evident that the process of regeneration and normalization of Euskera is essential to make a leap in the Euskaldunization of the labor world,” they point out. Eskisabel stresses that although education is a fundamental pillar, it is not enough: “What is the purpose of being the most Euskaldun youth generation of all time, when the world of work is totally Castilian?”

Eskisabel considered the socio-economic scope of the “process of regeneration and normalization” of a minority language as “indispensable”. The Council affirms the right to receive the service as a citizen user in its own language: “We defend the right to develop the activity and trade in Basque and to develop industrial relations in Basque.” To this end, they stress the need for “effective language policies”.

They also mention the “reactionary wave” to “attack” the normalization process of the Basque country and cause “setbacks” along the way: “There is nothing else to do with the last word of the Spanish Constitutional Court, in which state structures have wanted to make it clear here who has the last word in relation to linguistic policies.”

4 November, meeting day

Thus, they call for social mobilization: “We invite all citizens and agents who believe in linguistic equality, social justice and coexistence to participate in the demonstration to be held on 4 November from the Euskalduna of Bilbao in defense of all these values.”