As happened on 12 November last, the indefinite strike that has begun today in the company Huerta de Peralta has had a massive monitoring among the workers of the vegetable gardens and a little less among those of the boarding factory, with a production considerably lower than that of a normal day. LAB has denounced that the trade union was unable to obtain concrete data because the Strike Committee was not allowed to enter the company throughout the morning.

The strike workers have stayed all morning next to the main door of the centre, informing and criticizing the truckers and the workers who were there. "Everyone who wants has entered or left the company. However, and without any kind of provocation, the Foral Police has beaten the strikers four times and their shocks and drunks have caused injuries and bruises among the strikers," the LAB syndicate said.

The Foral Police has enjoyed the cooperation of the Civil Guard and the Municipal Police of Peralta in the action against the strikers. All this under the supervision of the first owner of the company, who has been walking around. Ahotsa.info wished to take up his opinion, but he told journalists that he would not make statements.

The LAB trade union has "strongly" denounced the Foral Police's attitude to a case of "absolutely unnecessary violence", they have denounced. The union has also denounced the attitude of the owner of the company, who "instead of laying the foundations for calm negotiation, has provoked and appointed strikers". LAB has been willing to sit with the company on the back of a table in order to readmit the four redundant workers.

In addition to the stoppages, this first day of indefinite strike, the workers have concentrated at noon next to the company's door and at 17:00 they have started a caravan of vehicles to tour the towns of Peralta, Marcilla and Funes. On the second day, on Thursday, the workers will transfer the claim to Pamplona, from 135 Zaragoza Avenue to UAGN headquarters, from 11:00 hours.

Two years of struggle

The working conditions of the workers in Huerta de Peralta were very poor until recently. According to the LAB trade union, in this company, which has more than 130 workers, the vast majority are migrants. It is one of the largest companies in this sector in Navarre, although it did not have trade union representation until 2017. The first elections were then held and the works council now has 6 representatives from LAB, 2 from CCOO and 1 from UGT. Since these elections, the situation of the workers has improved considerably: many temporary contracts have become indefinite, an agreement has begun to be implemented which had not been complied with until then, there have been improvements in working hours and also in wages... According to the unions LAB and workers, all this "awakened the thirst for revenge" of the company's management and now disciplinary regulations are being applied "as a tool of deterrence, coercion and retaliation against workers". So there have been many sanctions imposed by the company and the layoffs it has carried out.

To turn this dynamic around, the majority of the works council decided to take a step forward and to convene a full day strike and several mobilizations by 12 November. After the successful strike, the company expedited the use of disciplinary regulations and called the union, then a negotiating process was started to achieve the readmission of workers. However, after a few meetings, it was not possible to reach an agreement, as "the company has tried to bribe and has raised the level of demand excessively", according to LAB.

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