Thousands turn out for general strike in petrochemical industry in Tarragona
Day of protest calls for improved safety standards after last month’s explosion at the IQOXE plant
Some 11,000 workers turned out for a general strike on Wednesday morning at the Tarragona petrochemical complex.
CCOO and UGT, two of the largest trade unions in the country, led the first protest day in the Tarragona petrochemical industry, to demand more security for companies following the IQOXE blast on January 14th.
An explosion and subsequent fire occurred in an industrial estate near Tarragona, southern Catalonia, which left three people dead.
Workers also ask for better information in the event of an emergency, which Jessica Albiach, of the left-wing Catalunya en Comú party, agrees with, arguing that "security protocols have to be improved."
The strike began at 5:30 in the morning and will last for 24 hours. At 7 pm a rally is planned for the center of Tarragona, open to the public.
It will begin in the Plaza Imperial Tarraco and in front of the Tarragona Chemical Business Association, and will end in front of the Government delegation under the slogan 'We want security, information and coordination'.
"Historic" turnout
The CCOO trade union has published that 100% of staff are participating in the strike.
The union said in a statement that at seven o'clock in the morning "the strike can be considered historic" and emphasized that there were no notable incidents and that the minimum services had returned to normal operation.
This is the first general strike in the history of petrochemistry and is taking place under the slogan 'For stronger petrochemistry, more security and less precariousness!'