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Diario Euskadi

Cannery Workers Begin Strikes and Protests

Workers at canneries in Busturialdea and Lea Artibai denounce the stalled collective bargaining agreement and demand a reduction in the gender pay gap.

Generic image of a labor negotiation scene, with hands shaking over a desk.
IA

Generic image of a labor negotiation scene, with hands shaking over a desk.

Cannery workers in the Busturialdea and Lea Artibai regions, supported by various unions, have commenced strikes and protests to demand the renewal of their collective bargaining agreement and to address the significant gender pay gap.

Employees at the region's canneries, predominantly women, have launched mobilizations to protest the deadlock in negotiations for their collective labor agreement. Unions report that after fourteen meetings of the negotiating table, the employers' association has shown no real willingness to adequately respond to the workers' demands.
According to union representatives, no new proposals have been put forward to improve working conditions or unblock the agreement's renewal. They emphasize that negotiations cannot be detached from the structural reality of a highly feminized sector, marked by precariousness and a significant gender gap.
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"We are facing a sector where low wages, scarce professional recognition, and a historical undervaluation of work have been consolidated for years, and this must be corrected."

a union spokesperson
A recent study conducted by the ELA union has revealed an annual pay gap of up to 1,000 euros between women and their male colleagues performing very similar tasks. This disparity is attributed to the lack of recognition for the work performed by women, leading to an unequal distribution of occupations where they primarily hold low-skilled positions, driven by gender roles rather than capabilities.
The report also highlights that women's wages are significantly below the industrial average for Bizkaia and often close to the interprofessional minimum wage. This situation places many in economic vulnerability with a high risk of in-work poverty. Workers primarily perform manual tasks such as processing, cleaning, and packaging products, often in high temperatures and humidity, with constant repetitive movements that cause occupational diseases, many of which go unrecognized.
Furthermore, the report points out the low representation of women in management and decision-making positions, coupled with rigid working hours and a lack of work-life balance measures. Unions have warned that if the employers' association does not change its stance, protests will escalate, as workers cannot continue to sustain the sector without real improvements.
The protests, which began with two-hour stoppages, will resume next Thursday in Ondarroa with a demonstration starting at 12:30 PM from the alameda. On May 16, they will take their demands to Ondarroa's Antxoa egune, and on May 23, they will do the same at Bermeo's Arrain Azoka. Prior to this, a strike day has been called for May 21.

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