Base Unionists of the Canary Islands (SBC) has made an urgent appeal this Monday to UGT and CCOO to hold a meeting aimed at unifying their strategy in the negotiation of the Food Trade Agreement for Santa Cruz de Tenerife. In a statement, SBC expressed its “concern” regarding the recent “unilateral” mobilisations by both organisations. They believe it is a “major mistake” for each union to act independently.
“We understand that joint action by the three unions is absolutely essential to achieve our common goals: negotiating a new Food Trade Agreement for the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife that improves the working, social, and wage conditions of over 18,000 workers in our province,” stated Manuel Fitas Ramírez, Secretary of Communication and Institutional Relations for Base Unionists.
Potential General Strike at Christmas
The union has reminded stakeholders that the agreement expired on 31 December 2023, and since then, employers have maintained a “blocking position,” leaving 90% of workers in the sector earning only the Minimum Interprofessional Wage.
To tackle this situation, Base Unionists have requested an “urgent” meeting with UGT and CCOO to unify their strategy and objectives ahead of the upcoming meeting of the Negotiating Commission for the Food Trade Agreement in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, scheduled for Wednesday, 10 September, along with a joint mobilisation calendar, should no significant advances be made in the meeting, “which could lead to a General Strike in the Food Trade during the Christmas campaigning period.”
According to Fitas, the example of the strike in the hospitality sector demonstrates the effectiveness of unity: “The clear example that strikes remain a useful tool for achieving goals, always through the united action of the unions, which must set aside differences and interests in favour of the firm defence of workers’ rights, has been the recent General Strike in Hospitality in our province during the last Holy Week.”
The union believes this same approach should be applied to the Food Trade sector due to the “employer blockade in negotiating and signing the Agreement.”
