Foment questions the strike: "It does not build houses"

BarcelonaFoment del Treball has reiterated at the gala of its nineteenth annual awards the rejection of the general strike for the right to housing on November 11th. The president of the employers' association, Josep Sánchez Llibre, has questioned its usefulness in addressing what he considers to be the main problems of the residential market. "Let's not fool ourselves: paralyzing companies does not build homes," he snapped. The strike, he observed, shifts "to all companies the cost of a conflict that requires the involvement of many institutions"; a grievance that "is not reasonable." In the same vein, he labeled the call as "deeply misguided, untimely, irresponsible, and harmful."

Despite the rejection of the strike, Sánchez Llibre acknowledged that the residential market is "one of the great concerns" of Catalan society. For citizens, but also for companies. Businesses in the Principality, he recalled, "have difficulties incorporating professionals because they cannot find affordable housing." To rectify the situation, he demanded "urgent solutions" to the current crisis; mostly dedicated to incentivizing and energizing the market. The Foment leader's recipes include "expanding supply, mobilizing land, streamlining licenses, facilitating rehabilitation, and strengthening collaboration between administrations and the private sector."

Beyond the residential crisis, Sánchez Llibre also pointed against the disturbances that affected multiple shops and premises in the center of Barcelona over the weekend. The president of Foment demanded that "the necessary measures be taken, no matter how forceful they may have to be," to guarantee commercial and business activity in the city. With the same vehemence, he demanded that "the full force of justice" be applied against those involved. "Democracy is not negotiated, it is defended, also by guaranteeing freedom of enterprise and private property," he stated.

"Not resigning ourselves" to absenteeism

During its gala night, the employers' association has recovered one of its banners: workplace absenteeism. "Spain has become the leader in absenteeism in the European Union," the president denounced. In the midst of the debate on business growth, Sánchez Llibre contrasted the two phenomena: "We cannot demand more productivity and resign ourselves to this situation".

The business leader, it must be said, has focused on the need to provide a "better response" to the care of workers who need it and to avoid "waiting times for a test, treatment or rehabilitation from unnecessarily prolonging a sick leave". To solve this, Sánchez Llibre has called for "a great agreement that involves administrations, employers and unions".

Damm, BonÀrea and Primavera Sound

In addition to Sánchez Llibre, those present at the evening included the President of the Parliament of Catalonia, Josep Rull; the Mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni; the Minister of Economy and Finance of the Generalitat, Alícia Romero; the Minister of Business and Labour, Miquel Sàmper, and the President of the Barcelona Provincial Council, Lluïsa Moret. In line with the denunciation by the president of Foment, Collboni acknowledged that the country's capital has "experienced a black weekend," and conveyed to the business owners that "acts of vandalism are inadmissible and will not go unpunished." Beyond the disturbances, he celebrated the "leadership in innovative sectors" that Barcelona exercises.

The main award of the day, the Carles Ferrer Salat Medal of Honor for Business Trajectory, was awarded to Jaume Alsina, founder and honorary president of BonÀrea Corporació. The employers' association recognized his "exemplary trajectory," as well as "his ability to build a great agri-food project from the productive economy." The Medal of Honor for Company of the Year went to Damm, of whom the entity praises "the example of business continuity and ability to adapt to new times."

Foment presented the Medal of Honor for Businessperson of the Year to the president and CEO of Vueling, Carolina Martinoli, for her "leadership at the head of a company that operates in a demanding and competitive sector" such as that of airlines. The Medal of Honor for Business Projection awarded the Primavera Sound festival project, "born in Catalonia" but already consolidated as an "international benchmark of the music industry." Finally, the president of Camiral, Denis O'Brien, received the Extraordinary Medal of Honor for his "contribution to making it possible for Caldes de Malavella and Catalonia to host the 2031 Ryder Cup."