The trade unions are revving their engines for a May Day that promises to be the most militant in recent years. Pedro Homar has many May Days behind him, but this one will be his first as general secretary of UGT Illes Balears. The union’s slogan for this year is Protect what we have achieved, win the future: ‘We celebrate the rights we have won and we want to continue moving towards a fairer society with better wages and working conditions, more work-life balance and a fair distribution of wealth, but we are very alert to the threats looming over the working class, with tariffs and the crazy deregulation of housing, among others,’ he says.
The recently re-elected general secretary of CCOO Illes Balears, José Luís García, agrees that access to decent housing will be one of the main demands on 1 May, ‘a serious problem caused by a totally exhausted growth model that shows that more tourists does not mean greater well-being for the majority of the population. We urgently need to change the model and provide security for workers’.
For the general secretary of the STEI, Miquel Gelabert: ‘The right to decent and affordable housing is one of the main demands. The price of housing is impoverishing working people and the middle classes on these islands and is now the main factor of exclusion, ahead of employment.’
All three agree that there are plenty of reasons to protest in the streets on May Day, which is shaping up to be the most combative in recent years. ‘We cannot normalise the turmoil of economic liberalism, and our response is to take to the streets and raise our banners together. This is not about giving a “like” on social media, but about making ourselves seen and heard. I hope for a massive turnout on 1 May,’ says Homar.
For Gelabert: ’In the face of this systemic crisis, it is more necessary than ever to join forces and go on the offensive. As Aurora Picornell said, we salute May Day, a great and beautiful day when ideas of emancipation are expressed and heard by all the peoples of the universe.’ García issues a warning to the government: ‘We will be very demanding with regard to policies for changing the growth model, because you cannot be part of the Sustainability Pact and let Vox decide policy: this joke must end.’
He also has a message for the opposition: ‘Be serious, stop playing games and start having a strategy.’ The UGT insists that if no agreement is reached at the meeting of the hospitality industry bargaining committee on the 30th, it will call for protests. In addition, partial strikes by Balearic civil servants will begin on 2 May.