General strike in Spain | "The best way to fight the extreme right"

The Basque union Langile Abertzaleen Batzordeak (LAB) is preparing for the nationwide general strike on Wednesday – and the early elections. Photo: imago/ZUMA Wire The housing crisis in Spain has provoked a general strike this Wednesday and early elections on November 29th. How does a union protest occur outside of industrial relations?

Housing is the main cause of impoverishment. The working class is exposed to a double robbery by capital: in the workplace, as wages continue to be devalued and care and support work is not paid. And through housing speculation. Real estate companies and “vulture funds” benefit from this.

That's why we started organizing tenants because we defend the interests of the entire working class. Now the mobilizations at the Basque and state levels have intensified to such an extent that the conditions for a general strike were created. We are striking against impoverishment, against the pension economy and for living wages.

How did the trade union front come about? The major Spanish unions, the Workers' Commissions (CCOO) and the Workers' Union (UGT), are also calling for strikes along with tenants' associations. CCOO and UGT did not organize a general strike for 14 years. During general strikes in the Basque Country, such as in March for a decent minimum wage, they even acted as strikebreakers.

The fact that we are striking on the same day is probably the only thing we have in common. Because we represent very different union models. For LAB, respect for the Basque framework for industrial relations is a fundamental principle. CCOO and UGT do not respect this, which is why they did not take part in the strike in March.

You can't really live here with the state minimum wage, which is why we are fighting for a Basque minimum wage (SMI) of 1,500 euros. CCOO and UGT accuse us of nationalistic demands. But their Spanish nationalist sentiments only help employers. These differences made a pact beyond the day of the strike impossible. But it was important to us that everyone could strike, which is why there is only one strike day and not two different ones.

... as they existed before.

Exactly. This strike is part of a dynamic of struggle that has been going on since 2020, when we began striking for decent pensions in the Basque Country. This is now the fifth general strike since then. Here people are active against impoverishment and precarization. Workers are organizing and they see the value of union struggles. In addition, when it comes to housing in particular, many of the competences lie with the autonomous communities that we are targeting. This is an important difference to CCOO and UGT.

Garbiñe Aranburu Irazusta has led the Langile Abertzaleen Batzordeak (LAB) union, the second strongest force in the Basque Country, as general secretary since 2017. Born in 1973 in small Legorreta, she studied labor relations and earned her money in the hotel and restaurant industry. She knows what it means to work under precarious conditions.

The majority of trade unions in the Basque Country of the large ELA and LAB are on strike against the Spanish government, employers and the regional government. What is the goal of CCOO and UGT? You never went on strike against the government of Pedro Sánchez?

They want to reactivate the social partnership (Editor's note: Within the framework of the social partnership, the government, the trade unions and the employers' associations come together to negotiate and reach agreements that affect the world of work and the economy). We're not taking part in it. Without mobilizing the streets and without fighting in companies, a social partnership only leads to the assimilation of the trade union movement. You are ineffective in the fight against capital. This is exactly what has been evident at the state level for years. Structural measures are also necessary to defuse the housing crisis.

The Social Democratic Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is now accused of failure. Is the general strike grist for the mill of the right-wing People's Party (PP) and the ultra-right VOX? They already govern some regions and, according to surveys, are now expected to win with an absolute majority in the early elections.

I don't believe that. We have to react politically differently to the threat from the extreme right. The Sánchez government can demonstrate good economic growth, but the precariousness of living conditions continues to spread. Much bolder policies are needed to redistribute wealth, defend public services and address the housing issue, which has been missing for eight years. Redistribution, good wages and housing are the best way to combat the far right.

We have to prevent the penultimate from kicking the last, as right-wing extremists want. They take advantage of social discontent. In the Basque Country there is a different political reality because of the push for independence and a militant trade union movement. In times of lack of prospects, when life is becoming more and more expensive and our living conditions are deteriorating, we have to fight in the workplace and on the streets and push for changes in the institutions. To do this, we also have to mobilize the working class as voters.

Is the strike a warning to a PP-Vox government? Would it be confronted with a union front in the future?

We have already had PP governments with absolute majorities that have brought deep cuts and aggressive labor market and pension reforms. In the crisis from 2008, we carried out six general strikes until 2013. CCOO and UGT only took part in one. A strong dynamic of struggle would have to be set in motion against a PP-Vox government in order to defend the rights that have been won. But we will not allow any regression.

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