Spain: 41st Congress for the UGT union, weakened by the crisis and criticized

The General Union of Workers (UGT) is holding its 41st Annual Congress in Madrid.  The theme is “Union for Labor, Action and Solidarity” and Cándido Méndez, outgoing leader running for another term, is calling for in-depth internal changes for the organization to become more reactive and open to society, in the current context, giving more weight to sectoral organizations.  (Ref.  130236)
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The 600 UGT representatives will meet on April 10-13 for the union’s 41st Annual Conference. They will debate the course of action for the next four years. Discussions will revolve around the economic downturn, unemployment, austerity measures and the eviction of families who can’t pay their mortgage anymore. At the Congress’ initial press conference, Cándido Méndez called for a joint reflection for unionism to be more open to society. He wants a more responsive organization with a simpler

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