Tax the rich to feed the poor, say Toxo and Méndez

LEADERS of Spain's major unions have written to the country's president with 'Robin Hood-style' ideas as to how to end the recession.

Cándido Méndez and Ignacio Fernández Toxo, heads of the UGT and CCOO respectively, have told head of State Mariano Rajoy that extra taxes should be placed on ultra-high net-worth residents and that multi-billion-euro businesses should not be entitled to a deduction on company tax, or Impuesto sobre Sociedades (IS).

Investment societies, known collectively as the SICAV, should see their members – who are among the richest people in the country – having more tax retained at source.

And although they defend austerity measures, Toxo and Méndez say these should come second to the well-being of the general public, who are finding it even more difficult to make ends meet with tax increases and funding cuts in education, healthcare, pensions, benefits and social welfare in general.

The UGT (general workers' union) and CCOO (labourers' commission) say current economic policies have 'centred exclusively' on mopping up the State deficit and that not only has this 'not produced results that justify' this, but 'predictions for 2013 are for an even greater decline in economic activity' in Spain.

“In these conditions, and given the absence of the slightest willingness to discuss and negotiate or to consider society's views, we have had no option but to promote and support public protest marches and strikes to confront current policies,” says the missive from the two union heads.

And they add that they have always been willing to 'negotiate' and to 'present reasonable alternatives'.

Their latest move has been heavily criticised by the general public, who say they should have put their views forward years previously when José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero (PSOE) was still in power and the recession was just starting.