The 2026 budget is essential and must be agreed upon at all costs. The Catalan leaders of the CCOO and UGT unions, Belén López and Camil Ros, demanded this on Wednesday. New accounts for the Generalitat for next yearThrough a series of proposals that entail an increase in spending of approximately 3.6 billion euros, both organizations have called on left-wing political forces to reach an understanding and approve a budget that takes into account the needs of workers. It should be noted that the budget has been extended since 2023, although the government has made some adjustments through supplementary appropriations. Among their proposals, CCOO and UGT have prioritized the housing access crisis and demanded that policies aimed at this area reach 2% of Catalonia's GDP (combining investment from the Catalan government and the Spanish state). In this regard, they propose expanding the public housing stock to a minimum of 100,000 publicly owned properties designated for social rental (currently at 30,000) and increasing the number of subsidized housing units to 15%, reaching 450,000. According to the unions, this objective should be achieved through more intensive use of the right of first refusal (preferential acquisition rights granted by law to a person or entity to purchase a property before a third party), the purchase of vacant properties from banks, and the rehabilitation of properties currently underutilized. Both López and Ros also referred to more interventionist measures such as the application of caps on rental market prices. These housing policies would entail an expenditure of 250 million euros in the upcoming budget. "Catalonia needs a budget, and it needs it now. This slogan of shared prosperity that President [Illa] keeps repeating must become a reality," argued López, from CCOO. Another priority identified by the unions is the improvement of public transportation, infrastructure that "conditions the daily lives of the working class," and for which they propose allocating an additional 465 million euros. For example, they propose the creation of a Catalan high-speed rail network, maintaining current discounts on transport passes, and implementing the T-Mobilitat travel card throughout Catalonia.

The majority unions, CCOO and UGT, mobilized this Wednesday in the last attempt to prevent the Popular Party (PP), Vox, and Junts from completely defeating the processing in Congress of the bill to reduce the working week to 37.5 hours a week. They did so with a series of calls throughout the State this morning and a protest in the afternoon in the Plaza de las Corts in Madrid, next to the Spanish lower house. If there is no last-minute change, the votes against these three parties will block the measure. Even so, the union organizations have made it clear that this will not make them give in and that the flagship proposal of the second vice president of the Spanish government, Yolanda Díaz, will end up being approved this term.

Belén López (Les Masies de Voltregà, 1976) meets with the ARA (Argentine Workers' Union) with her suitcase ready to catch the AVE (High-Speed Train) to Girona, after three intense days of congresses during which she was elected the first female general secretary of the CCOO (Working Workers' Union) in Catalonia. She will replace Javier Pacheco at the head of the country's largest union, with nearly 147,000 members.

Belén López (Les Masies de Voltregà, 1976) became the first woman to lead the CCOO (Workers' Union) in Catalonia this Thursday. She will replace Javier Pacheco—after eight years in office—at the helm of the country's largest union, with nearly 147,000 members. The delegates gathered this week at the organization's congress selected her candidate, the only one running, with 563 votes in favor and 16 blank votes. The support was 98.12%.