Mérida (EFE).- Hundreds of people have demonstrated this May Day in Mérida, called by the UGT and CCOO, to demand that employers raise wages and distribute their benefits, while the Government has asked for measures for lower prices.
The march, as is traditional, started at noon from the roundabout located next to Avenida Fernández López and the Lusitania Bridge, and ended in Plaza de España.
The demonstration, which was attended by some 2,000 people, according to the organizers, was opened by a banner with the slogan “Raise wages, lower prices and distribute benefits”, held by the general secretaries of the UGT and CCOO, Patro Sánchez and Encarna Chacón, respectively, among others.
Interspersed among the attendees were other posters in defense of public education, pensions or quality public healthcare, as well as nods to feminism or LGBTI pride.
The demonstration has developed to the rhythm of whistles and drums and has been “colored” by the red that identifies both unions on balloons, banners or T-shirts.
The PCEx has also been seen with the slogan “No cuts for the war. Peace, wages and decent jobs”.
The call was attended by the Minister of Economy, Rafael España; the mayor of Mérida, Antonio Rodríguez Osuna; the spokesperson for the PSOE of Extremadura, Soraya Vega; and the candidate of United for the presidency of the regional Executive, Irene de Miguel, among others.
CLAIMS
The general secretary of UGT has highlighted that it is a day of celebration for the agreements signed by the unions, and in this sense has recalled the labor reform, the temporary employment regulation files (ERTE), the minimum wage or pensions, and has advocated consolidating the rights achieved.
Sánchez has demanded a rise in wages, lower inflation, and the sharing of benefits because large companies are making a lot of money.
He has called for a statewide collective bargaining agreement that draws the lines for a decent wage increase and decent work, because workers cannot be the ones to pay for this crisis.
The regional secretary of the CCOO has expressed herself in similar terms, who has denounced “business greed”, since they have raised their benefits by 30% compared to other years.
Chacón has recalled that during the pandemic companies benefited from public resources from all taxpayers, for which reason he has considered that now is the time to distribute the benefits through collective bargaining.
Otherwise, the Government will have to impose “decent taxes” that contribute to improving people’s lives, he has raised.
In addition, it has called on the Executive to lower prices by putting a cap on food as it did with the masks.
In his opinion, the drop in VAT has had an impact on business profits.
PSOE AND UNITED
The Extremadura PSOE spokesperson has stressed that there are now 70,000 fewer unemployed in Extremadura than in 2015, that permanent contracts are the highest in history and that there are more women working and young people working than ever.
Vega has pointed out that in this legislature the Socialists have filled the region with dignity and rights for working people, with the rise in pensions or the minimum living wage.
And that, like every first of May, they take to the streets to claim that a job without dignity and without rights is not work.
The United candidate has demanded that wages increase at the same rate that the price of life is increasing.
He has regretted that in Extremadura they are the lowest in the country and has criticized that there are companies that pay less here than in other autonomous communities.
De Miguel has pointed out that in recent years great progress has been made in terms of work thanks to the push of United We Can, as has happened with the minimum wage or the labor reform