Confebask warns of a crisis due to the war in Ukraine that could have “unsuspected consequences”

The president of Confebask, Eduardo Zubiaurrehas called for the adoption of “urgent” measures to deal with a crisis arising from the war in ukraine that it could have “unsuspected consequences” and be of “unusual severity”, which will require everyone to “make efforts”.

Among these measures, it proposes changing the method of setting energy prices and activating the RED mechanism to help guarantee the future of companies and avoid job losses.

Zubiaurre made these statements at the end of the meeting of the Social Dialogue Tablein which the Basque Government, CCOO, UGT and Confebask have participated.

Questioned as to whether employers could consider renouncing the distribution of profits, if the workers renounce increases in the CPI, he stated that “one thing is negotiation at an institutional level or at a sectoral level, where rules must be established effectively to deal with this situation”, which is “very complicated, very difficult and impoverishes everyone, both citizens and companies”.

In this sense, he has pointed out that it is necessary to establish some norms that allow as a society “to get ahead”. “And indeed we are all going to have to make efforts”has added.

Zubiaurre has indicated that, if inflation and its consequences are passed on over time, it will be “much easier for everyone, -everyone making an effort- that it is possible to get out of this situation without aggravation and without a negative affect”, above all, in those companies that “go badly and with difficulties”.

CCOO: “The workers cannot go back to being the pagans of the crisis”

The general secretary of CCOO Euskadi, loli garciahas affirmed that the workers cannot “go back to being the pagans of the crisis” and, therefore, has not been in favor of measures such as renouncing the rise in the CPI in wages.

The union leader has affirmed that they are in a “very complicated economic situation” and believes that, on this occasion, they must be able to “seek agreements that guarantee that the workers do not return to being the pagans of the crisis, as happened in the crisis previous”.

At the end of the meeting of the general committee of the Basque social dialogue:

¿: “We must be able to seek agreements that guarantee that the working class does not return to being the pagan of a new economic crisis” pic.twitter.com/HG9gsfFAya

— CCOO of Euskadi #EgurreCCOO #ActuarParaAvanzar (@CCOOeuskadi) March 15, 2022

UGT: “We are not willing for workers to pay again for the consequences of the crisis”

The general secretary of UGT-Euskadi, Raul Arzahas warned that they are not willing for the workers “to pay again for the consequences of the crisis” and has stated that “it cannot be that the only thing that is done in the rent agreements that are being proposed to us is to talk about the restraint and salary moderation”.

“There is no doubt that we are in a complicated situation. I think we have to reformulate a little the thoughts we had, because a few months ago we were in a moment of growth, but the war has had a strong impact on companies,” he said.

For this reason, he has pointed out that it is necessary to “rethink what the situation of collective bargaining is” and has been in favor of making agreements “beyond the duration of one year”, with the aim of guaranteeing that workers do not lose power purchasing.