Alberto Núñez Feijóo will participate in the confederal congress that the UGT union will hold on November 25 in Barcelona. Feijóo will thus become the first leader of the PP opposition to speak and address trade unionists, as reported by La Vanguardia. The leader of the PP wants to look for accomplices for the conciliation law that he is promoting. It proposes a reduction of the work week to four days, although this does not imply a reduction in hours worked, a proposal that contradicts the vision of the UGT, which is currently negotiating for the government to approve the week of 37.5 hours.
Feijóo’s intervention responds to the invitation of the UGT, which plans to re-elect its general secretary, Pepe Álvarez, in Barcelona for a third term. In fact, the president of the PP already met with Álvarez last October, precisely to contrast his proposal on the working day and show the support of the main opposition party for formulas that guarantee greater conciliation in families. The UGT evaluated Feijóo’s proposal positively.
The UGT will hold its confederal conclave between the 25th and 27th during which, among other subjects, the reduction of working hours will be very present, having become one of the flagship demands of the main unions. This same week a new social dialogue meeting was due to take place to try to agree on a reduction of half an hour per day in the workplace – a proposal that employers reject – but the meeting ultimately suspended.
The PP is aligned with the employers’ association regarding the reduction of effective hours, but with its proposal to reduce days, Feijóo distanced itself last October from the most intransigent positions within the employers. In this climate, the UGT congress is a good opportunity for the opposition leader to try to build bridges with the million Spaniards affiliated to the union.
