Representatives of trade unions UGT, CIG and CC.OO. at a press conference. (Photo: EuropaPress)

Processed seafood workers start strike

SPAIN
Monday, October 22, 2018, 23:00 (GMT + 9)

The trade unions representing the workers related to seafood processed products have encrypted in 100 per cent the follow-up of the first call of a national strike to demand a new labour framework for the sector that boost their contracts, salary and labour conditions.

Some 9,500 workers in the sector of seafood products, of which 80 per cent are employed in Galicia, have been called to the strike that began on Monday and will continue on Wednesday and Thursday this week.

As reported by the Galician newspaper Faro de Vigo, at dawn today they held pickets in Pereira Elaborados, with night shift production, and then demonstrated in front of Fandicosta (Moaña), Cabomar and Galicia Processing Seafood (both in Marín), and Mascato (Salvaterra).

The processed seafood sector protest at the offices of the employer Conxemar on the first day of the strike. (Photo: cig.gal)

Nueva Pescanova, which implements its own production agreement, has not been affected by the stoppages.

In addition to the strike, workers also gathered on Monday in front of the association's offices to demand a decent agreement.

Salary increase is one of the main demands of the sector. The unions propose a wage increase of 4.5 per cent in 2018 (without review), 2.5 per cent in 2019 and 2.5 per cent in 2020, with review according to the CPI if the sum of these two years exceeds 3 per cent. The objective is to achieve a salary of EUR 14,000 per year.

They also demand the reduction of the annual working day by 16 hours, which would mean that December 24 and 31 qualify as non-working days. In addition, they demand to limit temporary work and avoid the introduction of new abusive formulas such as multi-utility companies or false cooperatives, and ask for compensation for their work in very humid and cold environments, EFE reported.

According to the Galician Intersyndical Confederation (CIG), around 7,000 people work in Galicia, 80 per cent of whom are women, with very low salaries and "growing" precarization.

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