As part of the traditional May Day demonstrations in Spain, there will be more than 70 protests demanding higher wages, according to the country’s largest unions.
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“The UGT is calling on people to take part in more than 70 demonstrations across the country on May Day, International Workers’ Day,” the UGT tweeted.
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Under the slogan “Raise wages, cut prices, share profits,” the kingdom’s unions have this year focused on the need for higher wages to cushion workers’ loss of purchasing power amid the inflationary crisis, which they attribute to “excessive company profits.”
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“We need decent wages that rise in line with inflation, guaranteeing purchasing power. For this we need a wage guarantee clause,” the unions’ joint manifesto says.
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While the main demands are wages and the resumption of negotiations with the employers’ association CEOE, the unions also put forward a number of other May Day demands on the government. For example, they call for a redistribution of income in favor of needy families and a review of the cost of laying off workers.
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The demonstration in Madrid, which will run from the central street of Gran Via to the Plaza de España, will be attended by Second Deputy Prime Minister and Employment Minister Yolanda Diaz, as well as Finance Minister Maria Montero.
