INTERNATIONAL LABOUR-SPAIN:
CGT ASSESSES GENERAL STRIKE:




Molly reported on the one day public sector strike in Spain on June 8. My opinion was that it was a failure, not the least because the two largest unions the CCOO and the UGT were merely going through the motions and wanted it to fail. Spain's largest anarchosyndicalist union confederation the CGT participated enthusiastically in the strike while, at the same time, calling for a broader and longer lasting real general strike. The response of the CNT was mixed, but many sections were also participants with demands similar to that of the CGT. What follows is the assessment of June 8 on the part of the CGT.
@@@@@@@@@@


Press Release issued from the CGT (07/06/2010)
Evaluation statement from the Permanent Secretariat of the CGT of the public sector strike, and the Day of Struggle, convened by the CGT for June 8.




The General Confederation of Labour views the participation of workers and employees in the public sector strike and in the demonstrations of the Day of Struggle for the general strike called by the CGT positively.

The CGT called for a public sector strike on June 8, for those employed by public enterprises (Renfe, ADIF, AENA, Remasa, Mail, etc).

It also convened a day of action from other sectors of the workers for the whole population and society so they can make a combined clamour against the cuts in labor and social rights, against the brutal attack that markets are exerting, against the next labor "reform:. In short, against anti-social policy of the government.

Regardless of the data and statistics of acknowledged participation in public administration (15%),overall the CGT can be considered to have exceeded 50%. However, the important thing today was that after many years of demobilization, especially for the public employees, today was a positive step forward to take up a dynamic of mobilization and as always this effort is to be and more to the black perspective for social situations the labor market.

The CGT as a trade union convener made a significant effort to make this strike a success, and we believe that other convening unions have did not actually bet on the success of the strike. If they had, there would have been massive participation.

On the other hand, for the CGT this is only one more day of fighting in campaigns and demonstrations in favor of a general strike, an action that CGT sees as a priority and absolutely necessary to stop anti-social policy of the government. The CGT has called for the mobilization and participation of all the people and all those that are affected.

Hundreds of informational pickets, dozens of rallies, demonstrations and practical action in many cities of the Spanish state were called for a unanimous outcry against the aggressions of banks, politicians and employers against the working class and society as a whole.

We highlight some data in these demonstrations: 100% participation of the strike on the railways of the Generalitat , an important follow-up postal strike (70%) considering that the June 10 strike was specific to this sector, an important part of the strike in the Public Administration (75%), including particularly the centers where the CGT is present, where the incidence is even greater. Of course, we value greatly the massive participation in many of the events and actions performed.

On the negative side of the mobilization, we emphasize that workers are fed up with the official unions and their domesticated and wrongly timed mobilizations.

Finally, we express our absolute conviction that June 8 will be only the beginning of a social and labor unrest that will lead to an overwhelming response of citizens and the working class to the excesses and aggressions of the employers, governments and Banks:
Today more than ever, we need a GENERAL STRIKE

Permanent Secretariat Committee of the CGT Confederation