UGT leader Pepe Álvarez calls strike 50 years after leaving rowing at 20
José María Álvarez Suárez, known as Pepe Álvarez, was born in Alvariza in 1956 and gave up rowing at 20. He now calls a strike at the head of Spain's UGT union.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Pepe Álvarez, general secretary of Spain's UGT union, has called a strike in the same year that marks fifty years since he gave up rowing at the age of twenty. Born in Alvariza in 1956, his union career began in 1975 in Barcelona.
## From Alvariza to La Maquinista
**José María Álvarez Suárez** was born on **20 March 1956** in Alvariza, a village in the Asturian municipality of **Belmonte de Miranda**. He studied vocational training in **Noreña**, in Asturias, combining his studies with various jobs. At **19**, in **1975**, he moved to Barcelona and started working at **La Maquinista Terrestre y Marítima**, a company linked to Gec-Alstom.
That same year he joined the **Unión General de Trabajadores** (General Union of Workers, UGT). In **1976** he was appointed secretary of union action in his company's union branch. After the first union elections, he joined the works council of La Maquinista.
## From the metal industry to the leadership of UGT
In **1978** he was elected organisation secretary of the Metal Federation of **UGT** in Catalonia. From then on he held various positions within the union. The most prominent was general secretary of the Barcelona Metal Union, the largest in the confederation by membership. In **1988** he was again elected Organisation Secretary of the Metal Federation of UGT in Catalonia and a member of the Confederal Committee. A year later, in **1989**, he was elected chairman of the interim committee of UGT in Catalonia.
The strike call comes in a landmark year for him: half a century since he left rowing at twenty. The decision affects thousands of workers and comes amid a tense labour climate.
## What the strike means
The call is signed by **Pepe Álvarez** as general secretary of **UGT**. It affects the sectors included in the announcement and adds to a climate of conflict over wages and working conditions. Specific details on dates and scope will be known as negotiations pogre.
Before deciding whether or not to join the strike, it is advisable to consult union representatives and assess the personal financial impact before taking action.
## From Alvariza to La Maquinista
**José María Álvarez Suárez** was born on **20 March 1956** in Alvariza, a village in the Asturian municipality of **Belmonte de Miranda**. He studied vocational training in **Noreña**, in Asturias, combining his studies with various jobs. At **19**, in **1975**, he moved to Barcelona and started working at **La Maquinista Terrestre y Marítima**, a company linked to Gec-Alstom.
That same year he joined the **Unión General de Trabajadores** (General Union of Workers, UGT). In **1976** he was appointed secretary of union action in his company's union branch. After the first union elections, he joined the works council of La Maquinista.
## From the metal industry to the leadership of UGT
In **1978** he was elected organisation secretary of the Metal Federation of **UGT** in Catalonia. From then on he held various positions within the union. The most prominent was general secretary of the Barcelona Metal Union, the largest in the confederation by membership. In **1988** he was again elected Organisation Secretary of the Metal Federation of UGT in Catalonia and a member of the Confederal Committee. A year later, in **1989**, he was elected chairman of the interim committee of UGT in Catalonia.
The strike call comes in a landmark year for him: half a century since he left rowing at twenty. The decision affects thousands of workers and comes amid a tense labour climate.
## What the strike means
The call is signed by **Pepe Álvarez** as general secretary of **UGT**. It affects the sectors included in the announcement and adds to a climate of conflict over wages and working conditions. Specific details on dates and scope will be known as negotiations pogre.
Before deciding whether or not to join the strike, it is advisable to consult union representatives and assess the personal financial impact before taking action.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (1 replies).
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