Susanna Griso questioned this Tuesday in “Public Mirror” the decision of the unions to promote a general strike for housing on the eve of the elections. During the intervention of Fernando Luján, vice-secretary of Union Policy of UGTthe presenter has reproached the union organizations for their relationship with the Government and has questioned the timeliness of the announcement.
The confrontation has revolved around a specific question. Why propose a mobilization of this scope now after years of dialogue with the Executive. Griso has recognized the difficulties of workers in making ends meet, but has disagreed with the actions of the unions and the chosen calendar.
“What doesn’t make sense is for eight years you have been dancing with Yolanda Díaz and this Government and now, before the electoral campaign, saying that you are calling for a general strike under the auspices of the Tenants’ Union,” he stated.
The reproach for his relationship with the Government
The journalist has placed her criticism on the closeness she attributes to the unions with the Executive. In his opinion, the announcement of the strike at this time can be interpreted as a favorable action for the Government, instead of as a demand for responsibilities for the housing problem.
Griso has defended this interpretation during the exchange with Luján, whom he asked to clarify who the protest is directed against. His intervention has linked the mobilization with the political debate opened before the general elections of November 29.
The presenter has also pointed out the role of Tenants Union. In his reproach, he has questioned that the union centers are now joining a mobilization that the housing groups had already taken to the streets.
Griso recognizes the problem of salaries
Before launching that criticism, the host of the program agreed with the union representative about the insufficient salaries. “They are shitty salaries in this country,” he stated, and then added that he said it clearly.
Their disagreement has focused, therefore, on the response of the unions and the moment chosen to announce it. Griso has separated the need to improve workers’ income from his assessment of the relationship maintained by union organizations with the Government.
Luján, for his part, has defended that the mobilization responds to the housing problem and insufficient salary. For UGT, both demands are related to the living conditions of workers.
Luján rejects that it is a strike against the PP
One of the moments of greatest disagreement came when Griso stated that the protest was directed against the Popular Party due to its presence at the head of numerous autonomous communities. The UGT representative has rejected that interpretation.
“I am not saying that we go against the Popular Party,” Luján responded. The presenter has then insisted that the general strikes have a specific recipient and has demanded greater clarity about the objective of the call.
The exchange occurs after CCOO and UGT agreed to promote a 24-hour general strike this fall. The announced agreement had to be ratified by its management bodies and the final date had to be discussed with social organizations and tenant groups.
The union proposal demands salaries that allow access to housing and points to both the administrations with powers in this matter and the business organizations. This breadth of recipients is precisely one of the points that Griso questioned during the interview.