Feijóo defends the understanding with UGT and asks for support to approve the conciliation law

He affirms that the current fiscal policy “does not benefit the well-being” of the middle and lower classes

BARCELONA, 25 ()

The leader of the PP, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, has defended the understanding with UGT at the 44th confederal congress of the union, which is being held in Barcelona until Wednesday, and has asked for support to “unblock the conciliation law” presented by the PP in the Congress.

He said this this Monday during the opening of the 44th confederal congress in which Pepe Álvarez is running for re-election as general secretary of the union, and in which the second vice president, Yolanda Díaz, also participated; the ministers Luis Planas, Jordi Hereu and Elma Saiz; the mayor of Barcelona, ​​Jaume Collboni, and the Minister of the Presidency of the Generalitat, Albert Dalmau.

“It might seem that for me to be at a UGT congress is to play away from home. I don’t conceive of Spain like that,” said Feijóo, who has assured that he does not now have the majority to preside over Spain, but has indicated that when he does, will work with this union.

This is the first time that an opposition leader from the PP participates in a confederal congress of the UGT, and Feijóo has maintained that the majority of his voters are workers, after which he has wished that PP militants who are members of UGT “convince this union” of your party’s labor policies.

“If they do not do it, I am convinced that at the moment we do not have a majority to achieve it, when we find ourselves working together, know that I will continue seeking to reach an understanding with the UGT,” and he has defended that state and government policies are needed “to serve, not to serve oneself.”

MAINTAIN THE RELATIONSHIP WITH UGT

Feijóo has assured that one of the reasons why he has decided to attend the UGT congress is because he “respects and recognizes” the responsibility of social agents and because the PP governments “have sown and reaped the fruits of social dialogue”, after which has recalled the agreements with former ministers Javier Arenas, Manuel Pimentel and Fátima Báñez.

“It is a relationship that I intend to maintain,” said the popular leader, who has maintained that during the 30 years in which he has been in public administration he has had an “intense” relationship with UGT, although at times “complex”, but “enriching” in the final balance, he added.

Feijóo has demanded the approval of a conciliation law to extend paternity and maternity leave to 20 weeks, free nursery schools throughout Spain and greater labor flexibility to care for children, as well as “a bank of hours as a flexible working day “.

On the other hand, Feijóo has pointed out that the current fiscal policy “does not benefit the well-being, especially of the middle classes and the most modest classes”, and has criticized that despite inflation, the tax on income, so it considers that the real income of workers has risen less than inflation.

The leader of the PP has defended that in Spain it is the majorities that once again make the big decisions: “Our politics has been in the hands of minorities for a long time”, and he has also stated that economic triumphalism is a mistake.

UNEMPLOYMENT, PRECARIOUSNESS AND HIGH PRICES

He also considers it a mistake to “continue mortgaging future generations”, and has described unemployment, precariousness and current high prices that prevent young people from accessing housing as a perfect storm, in his words.

“The equality of all Spaniards and the redistribution of wealth must be above any other interest,” said Feijóo, who has defended the increase in pensions and has also criticized that the Government has been, according to him, for five years without make health policy.

The opposition leader has maintained “the lack of confidence in Spain”, and has pointed out that there have only been three General State Budgets (PGE) in six years, and foreign investment has fallen by half, according to his data.

After his intervention, the general secretary of the UGT of Catalonia, Camil Ros, thanked him for his words and invited him to vote in favor or to abstain in a future vote on the reduction of working hours: “It would not go badly for us.”