The Comisiones Obreras (CCOO) union in Albacete has chosen Paco Gómez as its new provincial secretary after a vote at the XIII Provincial Congress held on Thursday at the Hotel Palacio. Gómez, who ran unopposed, received 99% of the votes in his favor. He previously served as the Secretary of Trade Union Action in Carmen Juste’s team, the outgoing provincial secretary.
The new leader of CCOO Albacete highlighted the dedication and effort of his colleague who led the union and emphasized that his mandate will focus on advocating for the reduction of the 37.5-hour workweek. He believes this schedule is not being implemented enough and will likely need to be demanded «on the streets to become a reality.» Additionally, he pledged to fight for «the recovery of purchasing power and collective bargaining» as circumstances allow for the regaining of what was lost during the crisis.
Gómez also emphasized the defense of public services, the reduction of housing prices and rents in Albacete, and pledged that Comisiones Obreras will be a force against macho denialism and to address the gender gap.
Meanwhile, Carmen Juste bid farewell to her eight years as the head of the union, praising the work that reached Albacete’s society through openness to organizations and associations, advocating for workers’ rights, and defending the rights of women and the LGBTI community.
Juste recalled her leadership journey, particularly during the pandemic years when they had to organize to provide not only work-related services but also social and psychological support in the face of people’s anxiety and uncertainty. She highlighted her efforts in legal advice as a tool for enhancing labor relations and internally uniting the union, reflecting positively on her tenure as general secretary.
The union leader expressed confidence in her team member, Paco Gómez, who will take over, concluding with calls for investments in Albacete, both public and private, as the province has great potential strategically in terms of communications. Therefore, in her farewell congress, Juste urged the private sector and public institutions to support the region’s most populous city to have a greater influence in Castilla-La Mancha.
On the other hand, CCOO’s regional secretary, Paco de la Rosa, noted that the congress comes at a time of leadership changes within the organization. De la Rosa stressed, like his colleague, the threat of the far-right and the need for labor organizations to confront it.
«We are the largest socio-political organization in Castilla-La Mancha,» said the regional secretary, ensuring that they will not shirk their responsibility to confront «principles and European democratic values against ideologies that only think about money,» whether led by «Trump, Bolsonaro, Meloni, or Abascal.»
De la Rosa listed some social achievements through negotiation and consensus, such as pension increases or labor reforms that promoted indefinite contracts.
Currently, Comisiones Obreras has around 18,000 members and about 1,200 union delegates in the province of Albacete, with a hundred attending the XIII Congress where the new provincial secretary will be voted on in the early afternoon.
FUENTE