The general secretaries of the UGT and CCOO in the Balearics, Lorenzo Navarro and José Luis García, have called for the public in general and the working class in particular to take to the streets en masse on May 1. This will be to demand salary increases in line with the rise in inflation that the war in Ukraine has brought about.
Salary increases, Navarro stressed on Wednesday, "are essential in order to deal with runaway inflation". This Sunday's demonstration, he added, will be to "celebrate achievements" - labour reform, the increased number of permanent job contracts and the rise in the minimum wage - but it will also be a platform to demand measures to alleviate the effects of inflation.
Emphasising that "internal consumption pulls the economy", Navarro said that the unions are making a "modest proposal". On average, salaries in the Balearics should rise between 2.5% and 3.5%. This increase "would protect workers from inflationary scenarios like the current one".
García observed that "we are fortunate because we have recovered rights with labour reform after 40 years during which legislation has achieved the opposite, but many things still have to be improved". With inflation close to 10%, "this is a big bite out of pay packets".
Sunday's demonstration will start at 12 noon in Palma's Plaça Espanya. There will be a march to the Parc de la Mar.
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Totally support this action. Employers are refusing to increase salaries while the working classes struggle with price increases across the board.