The photo that heads this article is very clear and significant. It says NO to the Pacts of Toledo, which, even being a very negative Social Pact, is still defended by CCOO and UGT. It is a photo taken on March 17, 2,018, in Barcelona, from the head of the great manifestation of P&R (Pensioners and Retirees). Manifestation convened by La Marea de Pensionistas, as part of the almost 200 demonstrations that the State Coordination for the Defense of Public Pensions had convened on the same date.
In the one of Barcelona they took part 100,000 people according to the organizers (30,000 according to the Urban Police). Attendees included people of all ages, since many workers are still active and many young people (unemployed or not) joined the call.
The attendees chanted the slogans of the Pensioners' Tide, demanding the repeal of the measures adopted by the capitalist governments: in 2013 by the PP (Popular Party) today in the government, and in 2011 by the PSOE (these were the result of a Social Pact, very negative, signed by the then government of the Social Democrats with the yellow unions CCOO and UGT).
We must recall that the negative Pact of Toledo joined these measures, today massively denounced in almost 200 cities throughout the geography of the Spanish state.
These are the measures applied by capitalist governments in compliance with the guidelines of the IMF (International Monetary Fund), which in Europe applies the EU (European Union). These measures are summarized in the delay of the retirement age up to 67 years, and in the loss of 30% in the money collected as payment of the monthly pension; in addition to the loss each year of the purchasing power of the pensioners (as a result, the majority of pensions do not allow to live with dignity).
CCOO and UGT first signed the Pacts of Toledo, and then, in January of 2011, these negative measures, to continue extracting money from the Private Pension Funds that the yellow union promotes. There is a lot of data on this, but here I only give two: 1) the one million euros per year that they take out, CCOO and UGT, only from the Private Pension Fund of public officials; 2) the 50 million euros "stolen" in 25 years from the Telefónica-Movistar employees with the excuse of "monitoring" that the Private Fund is well managed. In fact, it is badly managed because, being voluntary to sign up or not to these Private Funds (thanks to the pressure of AST's class unionism), today (25 years after its implementation) it can be verified that those who stayed in the public pension system in Telefónica retire with a higher pension than those who have paid 2.4% of their salary each month (that is, they income was less each month for 25 years, and they also receive less at their retirement. Who kept this money? It is clear that it was between the employers and the yellow unions).
With this background, it is understood that the Tide of Pensioners and the State Coordinator say NO TO PRIVATE PENSION FUNDS. And say that it is unacceptable that CCOO and UGT want to lead the demonstrations.
But the yellow unions, aided by the bourgeois media, continue to try to appear as workers' defenders (and they still have many people deceived about it).
Given the great success of the demonstrations of February 22, promoted unitarily in more than 100 cities of the Spanish state by the Tides and the State Coordinator in Defense of Public Pensions, CCOO and UGT again appeared to be the most vindictive. First they called for actions for March 15, but for fear of failing they delayed them until March 17, in order to coincide with the date of the convocation of the unitary movement.
Then they hesitated on whether to be separated as unions (yellow) or to coincide with the unitary appointment. Everything is possible. But when they have been separated (for example, in Madrid), despite the help of the bourgeoisie with their media that manipulate the news (as they always do), it has become clear that the yellow unions today have less ability for calling than the unitary movement.
In other places, as in Catalonia, they tried to manipulate the unitary manifestation. This was called at 11 am and the yellows called, in the same place, at 10.30 am, with the clear intention of putting themselves at the head of the action.
But the unitary movement is directed by veteran leaders (most of them founders of CCOO who no longer work in this union for having ceased to be a class union). And the veterans knew how to react, at 10 o'clock in the morning they already occupied the head of the demonstration. They managed to annul the manipulative intention of the yellow unionism. The unions CCOO and UGT (which only carried a small banner signed by the two unions) were relegated at the end of the demonstration. Its affiliates (which mostly have not sold positions to the employers, as their leaders have) left those who carried the banner and went with the unitary movement. In short, they were more affiliated with CCOO and UGT in the general part of the demonstration than behind the small banner that these two unions wore.
But the clear sign that the P & R have defeated the yellow trade unionism, is that CCOO and UGT were behind the banner, the photo which opens this article. The banner that said NO TO THE COVENANTS OF TOLEDO, and that summarized all the demands of the P & R. Banner that the bourgeois media, to continue helping their obedient yellow unions, have hidden. See the first page of "El Periódico" which, on its cover of the day 18-3-18, cut out the header photo of the demonstration, so that its contents cannot be read, so the defeat of the yellow unionism (CCOO and UGT) is not clear.
The yellow trade unionism, after this great defeat, only has two options left: either they rectify or they are definitely out of the class syndicalism.
Rectify, is difficult for the leaders of CCOO and UGT, because they do not want to listen to their bases (who with their quotas contribute only a very small part of the expenses of these unions), and yes, they wish to continue having the substantial subsidies of the capitalist government and the businessmen. Therefore, they cannot and do not want to rectify.
To rectify, they should publicly withdraw their signature and support for the Pacts of Toledo, and the nefarious Social Pact signed with Zapatero in January 2011. And they will not do that.
A new stage of the struggle of the working class has been opened, this time headed by its most veteran part, the one that was forged under Franco's fascist dictatorship, the one that learned anti-capitalism in its daily struggle in companies, the one that endured the harsh repression, and the one that is not willing to lose (neither for it nor for future generations) the achievements and conquests that so many struggles costed to obtain from the leaders of capitalism.
My personal congratulations, and that of the leadership of the WFTU (World Federation of Trade Unions), to the leaders of the Tides and of the State Coordinator in Defense of Public Pensions.
Barcelona, March 18, 2.018.
Quim Boix
General Secretary of the TUI (Trade Union International) of Pensioners and Retirees (P&R) of the WFTU
Responsible of the WFTU of the Spanish State (except Basque Country)
http://www.wftucentral.org/?language=es
http://www.pensionistas.info/web/es
