Thousands march for equality, pensions and salaries on Workers’ Day

Workers, pensioners and women are the main protagonists of the Workers’ Day protests in Catalonia. Thousands of people took to the streets on Tuesday, May 1, in several cities across the country to claim for a complete gender equality at work, better salaries and a decent pensions system, among other demands. The main trade unions in Catalonia, CCOO and UGT, called for several protests with the motto ‘Now it’s our turn’.

Around 10,000 people overall gathered in two demonstrations in the Catalan capital, with 1,000 protesting in Tarragona, 800 in Girona and around 500 in Lleida. Most Catalan parties took part in the marches, but unionist Cs rejected joining them. "As long as trade unions work together with separatists, we will not take part," said a party spokesman. 

After a number of demonstrations for political and social rights stemming from the Spanish harsh measures against the Catalan self-rule and politicians in the past few months, trade unions leaders warned that the political debate should not “cover” the working claims. Both unions are hopeful that the Workers’ Day is a tipping point for a wave of social demonstrations. 

Year of social protests

Yet they recalled that this year has already been a good one in terms of rallies, with a record-breaking one for women’s rights on March 8, a large protest for pensions also in March and a mobilization to reject verdict on the gang-rape La Manada last week. Indeed, in the Barcelona march on Tuesday a banner reading ‘It is not abuse, it is rape’ was some meters ahead of the main banner.

The march kicked off at 11.30 in Barcelona, but other protests started at noon in other Catalan towns, including Girona, Tarragona, Lleida, Tortosa and Igualada. Other minor trade unions, such as USOC and CGT called on protesters to take to the streets this Tuesday at noon, in which some banners asking for the end of Spanish "repression" were showing. During the CGT march, as well as the protests organized by CCOO and UGT, trade union leaders called on political parties to "urgently" form a new government. 

The pro-independence union Intersindical-CSC, along with the pro-independence association ANC held another rally in the evening “in favor of the Republic of social rights.” Hundreds of protesters took to the streets with pro-independence chants. "If social rights are to be kept, the only way to do it is with the Catalan Republic," said the ANC's president. She also claimed for a minimum salary of 1,200 euros per month. Esquerra party, also in favor of a Catalan state, organized an event to demand jailed Labour minister Dolors Bassa’s freedom.