General strike threat over unemployment levels

The Canary Islands main unions (UGT, CCOO, Intersindical Canaria, FSOC, STPA Canarias, STU, COBAS, USO) yesterday threatened to call a general strike in the Canaries in protest over the unemployment levels in the islands which has reached 34.27%, over one in three people are now without employment. The protest is said to be not only against the Government of Spain, but also against the President of the Canary Islands Government Paulino Rivero.

In the presentation of the events, which is planned for the 1st of May, the general secretary of UGT in the Canary Islands, Gustavo Santana, said that the current unemployment rates are “more than enough” to call a general strike in the Canaries, because the regional government has “great responsibility” in all that has happened to the islands. “It is not true that the only blame lies with the central Government” he added. According to the union, the Canary Islands Government has “turned its back” to the social reality of the islands, as it makes policies that, after five years, are seen to have “totally failed”. In his view, the general strike is “taking shape more than ever” because, without a change in policy, the Canary Islands will plunge into a social and economic depression.

Mr. Santana went on to say “The general strike will act to reject these policies, but also to denounce the prevailing business culture in the Canary Islands, which is that of dismissal. Even with the tourism sector scoring above 90% throughout this period, all it has done is destroy employment.”

“The Canary Islands government and their employers are bound for a general strike and we will take our time to set the date, because we will go to all the businesses and workplaces to explain who has responsibility in all of this” he said.

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