The General Union of Workers (UGT) threatens to stop Madrid supermarkets in the middle of Christmas. The union has called a four-day strike to put pressure on the employers’ organizations due to the blockage of the negotiation of the agreement, as announced this Thursday by the union headquarters.
If an agreement is not reached with the businessmen between now and then, the strikes will affect various supermarket chains such as Alcampo, Hiper Usera, Hiber, La Sirena, Carrefour and companies represented by ACES and ASEDAS, among others, as well as traditional markets. , shopping galleries and street stores dedicated to the food trade.
Specifically, the strike is planned for December 23, 24, 30 and 31, which are key days for consumption at this time of year. “The call for these sessions responds to the failed attempts for months by the UGT Commerce sector to unblock the negotiation of the Food Trade collective agreement in the region,” the union explained in a statement.
The agreement began to be negotiated more than a year ago, in September 2022, but at the moment the table is stalled, according to UGT, due to the blockade of the business organizations ACES, ASEDAS, UNICA, ADEPESCA, ADEFRUTAS and ASDHAC, which ” have unjustifiably hindered the signing of the agreement, which affects around 51,000 workers in the Community of Madrid,” denounces UGT Madrid spokesperson, José Casero, in statements to Europa Press.
“The strike is the response to the lack of progress in the negotiations given that we exhausted all previous avenues before taking this protest measure,” defended the spokesperson. The union’s intention is to pressure employers to “reconsider their position and look for a solution that benefits workers in the food trade sector.”
Casero has criticized “the loss of purchasing power suffered by the sector’s workforce, despite the enormous profits recorded by the companies.” And he has insisted on “the urgent need to improve the working conditions of this important Madrid group.”
UGT demands a salary increase for assistants, stockers, assistants to dependents and the cleaning service, who, according to the complaint, “earn less than the minimum wage.” “We do not have a date for the next meeting. We believe that the employers lack responsibility because this agreement affects workers who were considered essential during the pandemic and are now the forgotten ones. They have precarious hours and deserve to have their conditions improved. labor,” Casero stressed.