Susanna Griso tears into UGT official over general strike

Susanna Griso criticised the UGT's deputy secretary for union policy live on air for calling a general strike after years of negotiations with the Government. The journalist put Spain's most common wage at 1,200 euros.

Journalist **Susanna Griso** clashed live on air with the **UGT**'s deputy secretary for union policy. During the exchange, Griso described the country's pay situation as "shit wages" and put the most common salary at **1,200 euros**. The row took place in the context of a general strike called by the union.

## The rebuke to UGT over the timing of the strike

The heart of the row was not just the level of pay. Griso reproached the union official for calling a general strike now, after years of dialogue with **Yolanda Díaz** and the **PSOE** (Spain's ruling Socialist Party). Her blunt argument was that it makes no sense to have spent that time negotiating and then stage the protest at this moment.

The criticism points to a political contradiction: if the union considered working conditions inadequate, the break has come too late. The unionist defended the strike call; the journalist argued that the timing undermined his case.

## What lies behind the 1,200-euro figure

The figure Griso put on the table is the most frequent wage, not the average wage. It is a relevant distinction: the most common wage better reflects what most working people earn, while the average is pushed up by high salaries. Placing it at **1,200 euros** frames the pay discontent fuelling the conflict.

The figure does not come from a report cited during the exchange, but from the presenter's own assertion. It should be treated as what it is: an order-of-magnitude reference, not an official statistic verified at that moment.

## A showdown between television and the union

The episode shows the tension between the union narrative and the media narrative on wages. UGT insists the strike is necessary; Griso questions both the outcome of the previous negotiations and the timing of the call. The clash sums up a broader debate over whether social dialogue has actually served to improve pay packets.