The union’s general secretary believes that raising contributions to support pensions “is a first step”, but that more will have to be done. It also considers that “the State should not allow Madrid to do tax dumping.”
The secretary general of UGT, Pepe Álvarez, has described as “historic” the agreement to raise prices to sustain the pension system, although he has admitted that it is “a first step” and that more measures will have to be taken: “The next step will be to fatten the coffers of Social Security via taxes. We are going to continue on that path.”
In an interview with the “Boulevard” program on Radio Euskadi, Álvarez has considered that the pact will not hinder the economic recovery, as the businessmen assure, because it is about “a fairly manageable amount for companies and workers. “As he has argued,” Spain has very low unit costs per hour worked compared to the European Union: five points below Italy and 20 points below Germany … Spain does not have a wage problem. After solving the labor reform, our task will be wages have to go up“.
Asked if he agrees with the Lehendakari that Madrid does “fiscal dumping”, the secretary general of UGT assures “not to have any doubt of it, Madrid is doped”, has said. In his opinion, the State should “correct” this situation “with an agreement with the communities, which limits the capacity from the tax point of view.”
Álvarez predicts that repeal of the first part of the labour reform It will arrive before the approval of the General State Budgets, or perhaps in parallel, since the Government of Spain “has to comply with Brussels and present an approved agreement before the end of the year.” The union leader maintains that the negotiation of the first block of the reform is “very advanced”, some issues even with the CEOE, and that it goes through aspects related to collective bargaining, hiring and the reinforcement of inspections and punitive actions.
Finally, regarding whether the implementation of the covid passportÁlvarez has defended that it could be “a necessary tool”, since “health over and above the discomfort it may present you”, but has insisted that he is committed to “deepening campaigns that reinforce vaccination.”
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