Editing Workers' Commissions

{{Short description|Spanish trade union}}
{{Cleanup lang |date=July 2024 }}
{{Infobox union
| name                = CCOO
| location_country    = Spain
| affiliation         = [[International Trade Union Confederation]]<br />[[European Trade Union Confederation]]
| members             = 920,870 (2018)<br/>94,971 union representatives (2018).<ref>[https://www.20minutos.es/noticia/3252805/0/sindicatos-recuperan-afiliados-tras-crisis/ Los sindicatos recuperan afiliados por segundo año consecutivo tras la crisis]. 20 Minutos, 04/02/2018.</ref>
| full_name           = Workers' Commissions
| native_name         = Comisiones Obreras
| native_name_lang    = es
| image               = [[File:Logotipo de Comisiones Obreras.svg|200px]]
| caption             = Logo
| founded             = 1976
| dissolved           = 
| merged              = 
| headquarters        = [[Madrid]], Spain
| key_people          = [[Unai Sordo]], general secretary
| website             = [http://www.ccoo.es www.ccoo.es]
| footnotes           = 
}}
[[File:Ccoo02.jpg|frame|right|CC.OO. sticker]]
The '''Workers' Commissions''' ({{langx|es|'''Comisiones Obreras''', '''CCOO'''}}) since the 1970s has become the largest [[trade union]] in Spain. It has more than one million members, and is the most successful union in labor elections, competing with the [[Unión General de Trabajadores]] (UGT), which is historically affiliated with the [[Spanish Socialist Workers' Party]] (PSOE), and with the [[anarcho-syndicalism|anarcho-syndicalist]] [[General Confederation of Labor (Spain)|Confederación General del Trabajo]] (CGT), which is usually a distant third.

The CCOO were organized in the 1960s by the [[Communist Party of Spain (main)|Communist Party of Spain]] (PCE) and workers' [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]] groups to fight against [[Francoist Spain]], and for [[labor rights]] (in opposition to the non-representative "vertical unions" in the [[Spanish Labour Organization]]). The various organizations formed a single entity after a 1976 Congress in [[Barcelona]].

Along with other unions like the [[Unión Sindical Obrera]] (USO) and the UGT, it called a [[general strike]] in 1976, and carried out protests against the conditions in the country. [[Marcelino Camacho]], a major figure of Spanish trade unionism and a PCE member, was CCOO's [[General Secretary]] from its foundation to 1985 - he was elected to the [[Congress of Deputies (Spain)|Congress of Deputies]] in the [[Spanish general election, 1977|1977 election]]. However, CCOO disassociated from the PCE in the early 1990s and is nowadays a non-partisan, negotiation-prone union.

==History==

===Birth and role in Francoist Spain===
Taking as reference the clandestine union [[Oposición Sindical Obrera]] (OSO) the first workers' commissions were organized during 1960 in [[Asturies]], [[Catalonia]], [[Madrid]] and the [[Basque Country (autonomous community)|Basque provinces]] of [[Gipuzkoa]] and [[Bizkaia]] as labor disputes emerged outside the [[Francoism|Francoist]] [[Sindicato Vertical|national-syndical]] [[Movimiento Nacional|movement]]. Originally the "commissions" were representative bodies of workers elected in assemblies. The first "comisiones" were boosted by the [[Communist Party of Spain]] (PCE), Christian labor movements ([[Young Christian Workers|JOC]] and {{ill|Workers' Fraternity of Catholic Action|es|Hermandad Obrera de Acción Católica|lt=HOAC}}) and other groups opposed to the [[Spanish State]]. Gradually the ''[[ad hoc]]'' commissions started to become permanent, creating a stable and well organized movement.

For many historians, one of the first places where the Workers' Commissions were formed was the valley of [[Laciana]] ([[province of León]]), within the Minero Siderurgica de Ponferrada (MSP) industry. Another place that sometimes is also cited as the first is ''[[La Camocha, Asturias coal mine|La Camocha]]'' mine ([[Gijón]]) in 1957, during a strike.<ref>«[http://www.fundacionjuanmunizzapico.org/masInf/breveHistoriaCCOO.htm CC. OO. Breve historia]». Fundación Juan Muñiz Zapico.</ref> The [[Asturian miners' strike of 1962]] ("La Huelgona") was the first massive action of the union and one of the first massive popular mobilizations against Francoist Spain.

The union was heavily repressed in Spain. In 1972 all the leadership of CCOO was jailed, being judged in the infamous [[Proceso 1001]]. They remained imprisoned until the trial, more than a year later. This finally took place on 20 (day that coincided with the assassination of Prime Minister [[Luis Carrero Blanco]], which led to the suspension of the trial for a few hours), 21 and 22 December 1973. The defendants faced the accusation of belonging to an illegal and subversive organization, and of having links with the [[Communist Party of Spain]] (PCE).<ref>RECIO GARCÍA, Armando. Universidad Complutense de Madrid, ed. «[http://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/articulo?codigo=2298369 La prensa jurídica en el tardofranquismo: el Proceso 1001]».</ref> On December 30 convictions were announced, which coincided with requests of the prosecutor and whose severity was considered related to the murder of [[Carrero Blanco]]. The convictions were the following: [[Marcelino Camacho]], 20 years of jail; [[Nicolás Sartorius]], 19; Miguel Ángel Zamora Antón, 12; Pedro Santiesteban, 12; Eduardo Saborido, 20; Francisco García Salve, 19; Luis Fernández, 12; Francisco Acosta, 12; Juan Muñiz Zapico Juanín, 18; and Fernando Soto Martín, 17. They were amnestied on 25 November 1975.

The tactic of CCOO was [[entryism]], i.e.: infiltration in the [[Sindicato Vertical|Vertical Unions]] of Francoism. This tactic culminated in the union elections of 1975, where CCOO got the overwhelming majority of the delegates elected in the major companies in the country. CCOO led numerous strikes and labor mobilizations in late Francoism and the [[Spanish Transition]].<ref>[http://www.reis.cis.es/REIS/PDF/REIS_026_06.pdf El movimiento obrero en la transición. Objetivos políticos y organizativos.] Robert M. Fishman. Reis: Revista española de investigaciones sociológicas, {{ISSN|0210-5233}}, Nº 26, 1984, pages:. 61-112</ref>

===Transition and 1980's===
Since the [[Spanish transition|democratic transition]] until 1987 its secretary general was the historic union leader [[Marcelino Camacho]], also a prominent leader of the [[Communist Party of Spain|PCE]] and [[Congreso de los Diputados|deputy]] between 1977 and 1981. In 1976 CCOO held the Assembly of Barcelona, where the modern class trade union confederation was formed. CCOO was legalized on 27 April 1977. The [[Atocha massacre|murder of 5 labor lawyers in 1977]] (members of the union and the PCE) in Madrid that year was followed by a massive funeral, more than 250,000 people participated, and the strikes that followed helped the legalization of the organization. In those years the union is growing rapidly in membership, like the rest of unions and leftist parties. From 1976 to 1978, CCOO went from 30,000 to 1,823,907 members. However, after the signing of the [[Moncloa Pacts]], this figure gradually begun to descend, passing to 702,367 in 1981 and 332,019 in 1986. This negative trend in membership started to change since 1987.<ref>{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120412174842/http://www.ccoo.es/comunes/temp/recursos/1/155484.pdf |title=La evolución de la afiliación a CC. OO.: 1978-2007 |work=Confederación Sindical de CC. OO. |url=http://www.ccoo.es/comunes/temp/recursos/1/155484.pdf |archive-date=12 April 2012 |access-date=7 March 2019 |language=es |date=November 2008 |pages=113}}</ref> In those years CCOO also suffered various splits. In 1976 the [[Confederación de Sindicatos Unitarios de Trabajadores]] (CSUT), a group of CCOO members affiliated with the [[Party of Labour of Spain]] (PTE) split from the organization. In May 1977 CCOO suffered another split, this time from supporters of the [[Maoism|maoist]] [[Workers' Revolutionary Organisation]] (ORT), that formed the [[Sindicato Unitario]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Molina Blázquez |first=José |title=Apuntes para: orígenes y evolución de la Organización Revolucionaria de Trabajadores |date=December 2009 |url=http://ort-ujm.es/main/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=263&Itemid=123 |access-date=7 March 2019 |work=[[Organización Revolucionaria de Trabajadores]]-[[Unión de Juventudes Maoistas]]}}</ref>

The year after legalization in 1978, CCOO held its I Confederal Congress, where [[Marcelino Camacho]] was reelected, what would happen again in the Second (1981) and III (1984) congresses. CCOO also was the most voted union (37.8% of the representatives) in the [[Spanish trade union representative elections, 1978|workers representative elections of 1978]], the first democratic ones in the [[history of Spain]]. In this last congress, different factions emerged, including a majority linked to [[Communist Party of Spain|PCE]] (led by [[Marcelino Camacho]]) and three minorities, respectively linked to the [[Workers' Party of Spain – Communist Unity]] (PTE-UC) (called ''[[Santiago Carrillo|carrillistas]]'' and led by Julián Ariza); the [[Communist Party of the Peoples of Spain]] (PCPE); and the [[Revolutionary Communist League (Spain)|Revolutionary Communist League]] and the [[Communist Movement]] (known as ''Izquierda Sindical'').<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.caesasociacion.org/movimiento_obrero_sindicalismo/ficheros/transicion_politica_espa%f1ola_sindicalismo_radical.pdf |title=Transición política y sindicalismo radical |work=Centro de Asesoría y Estudios Sociales |language=es |pages=6 |access-date=7 March 2019 |archive-date=16 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200316155052/http://www.caesasociacion.org/movimiento_obrero_sindicalismo/ficheros/transicion_politica_espa%EF%BF%BDola_sindicalismo_radical.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 1980, CCOO received an important part of the [[Unión Sindical Obrera|USO]] members, that belonged to the [[socialist self-management]] current. In 1986 the union participated in the historical mobilizations against the permanence of Spain in [[NATO]]. CCOO asked for a "NO" vote in the [[Spanish NATO membership referendum, 1986|NATO referendum]].

CCOO called 4 general strikes in the government of [[Felipe González]]: 1985, 1988, 1992 and 1994; against the economic and employment policy of the [[PSOE]] government. Especially massive and historic was the [[1988 Spanish general strike]], organized jointly with the [[Unión General de Trabajadores|UGT]], which had a 95% of following, and forced the government to totally withdraw the Youth Employment Plan.

===90s to today===
[[File:Sindicatos Tarragona.jpg|thumb|Headquarters of CCOO and other unions in [[Tarragona]].]]
[[File:Huelga general del 14 de noviembre de 2012 en Madrid (27).jpg|thumb|General strike on November 14, 2012, in [[Madrid]].]]
Since the Fourth Congress (1987), the union's general secretary was [[Antonio Gutiérrez Vegara|Antonio Gutiérrez]], reelected in the V Congress (1991). During his mandate CCOO distanced itself from the [[Communist Party of Spain|PCE]] and a preference for negotiations and the social pacts over strikes and conflictivity<!-- Conflictivity? Is that a word? --> was promoted. This was criticized by a faction known as the [[Critical Sector of CCOO]], supported by [[Marcelino Camacho]] and Agustin Moreno, in the sixth Congress (1996). The [[Critical Sector of CCOO]] has continued to organize the most pro-[[Communist Party of Spain|PCE]] sector of CCOO since then.

In the VII Congress (2000) José Maria Fidalgo was chosen as the new secretary general, being re-elected at the Eighth Congress in April 2004.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.eldia.es/2004-04-25/dinero/dinero8.htm |title=Fidalgo triunfa en el 8º Congreso de CC. OO., que califica de plural "sin miedo" |newspaper=[[El Día (Canary Islands)|El Día]] |date=25 April 2004 |access-date=7 March 2019 |language=es |location=Madrid |publisher=Editorial Leoncio Rodríguez, S.A.}}</ref> In 2002 CCOO and UGT called for a [[general strike]] against a decree of the government of [[José María Aznar]] that made firings cheaper, eliminated [[agricultural subsidy|agricultural subsidies]] and encouraged job insecurity, known as the ''decretazo''. After protests the measure was withdrawn almost entirely. In this cycle CCOO reached again over one million members. CCOO also opposed the [[Iraq War]] and participated in the [[Protests against the Iraq War|massive protests against it]].

CCOO held its IX Confederal Congress in December 2008, with 1.2 million members and 120,000 elected delegates in the workplaces of [[Spain]] at the time. At the Ninth Congress [[Ignacio Fernández Toxo]] was elected general secretary, surpassing by 28 votes [[José María Fidalgo]].<ref>{{cite news |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081220172240/http://www.adn.es/politica/20081219/NWS-3178-toxo-gana-secretaria-general-ccoo.html |title=Toxo vence a Fidalgo por 28 votos y se hace con la Secretaría General de CC. OO. |newspaper=[[ADN.es]] |date=19 December 2008 |access-date=7 March 2019 |archive-date=20 December 2008 |url=http://www.adn.es/politica/20081219/NWS-3178-toxo-gana-secretaria-general-ccoo.html |language=es}}</ref>

== General Secretary ==
Between 1987 and 2000, the union's general secretary was [[Antonio Gutiérrez Vegara|Antonio Gutiérrez]];<ref>{{cite journal|author=Lynne Wozniak|title=The Dissolution of Party–Union Relations in Spain|journal=[[International Journal of Political Economy]]|year=1992|volume=22
|issue=4|page=84|doi=10.1080/08911916.1992.11643849}}</ref> he was followed by [[José María Fidalgo]] (1997–2009), often criticized by the left wing of the union. The CCOO and the UGT, summoned three general strikes (1988, 1992 and 1994) against the economic policy of the [[Felipe González]] government, and one on June 20, 2002, against the government of [[José María Aznar]] and its plan to change the [[unemployment insurance]] system.

The current General Secretary is [[Ignacio Fernández Toxo]]. On September 29, 2010, the CCOO called a [[general strike]] to protest the [[José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero]] government's plans to raise the retirement age and cut spending.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-09-28/spain-girds-for-first-general-strike-in-8-years-to-protest-zapatero-cuts.html |title=Spain Has First General Strike in Decade as Europe Marches |work=[[Bloomberg.com]] |date=29 September 2010 |access-date=26 October 2010 |first=Emma |last=Ross-Thomas}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
! Tenure
! Name
|-
| 1976–1987
| [[Marcelino Camacho]]
|-
| 1987–2000
| [[Antonio Gutiérrez Vegara|Antonio Gutiérrez]]
|-
| 2000–2008
| [[José María Fidalgo]]
|-
| 2008–2017
| [[Ignacio Fernández Toxo]]
|-
| 2017–present
| [[Unai Sordo]]
|}

==Organization==
[[File:Sede de CC.OO., Madrid.JPG|right|thumb|CCOO headquarters, [[Madrid]].]]
[[File:Ignacio Fernández Toxo (2012).jpg|thumb|[[Ignacio Fernández Toxo]] (2012)]]
CCOO is organized territorially in local, provincial, [[Nationalities and regions of Spain|regional/nationality levels]] (in regional unions or in nationality confederations) and in a Spain-wide level. Equally and in a parallel way CCOO is organized at the sectoral level, from local unions in a company to the federal branch. The decision-making bodies at the federal level are the Confederal Congress, the Confederal Council and the Confederal Executive Committee. 

===Current affiliates===
Branch federations are:

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Union !! Abbreviation !! Founded
|-
| [[Federation of Citizens' Services]] || FSC || 2009
|-
| [[Federation of Construction and Services]] || FCS || 2014
|-
| [[Federation of Education]] || FE || 1978
|-
| [[Federation of Health and Social Health]] || FSS || 1977
|-
| [[Federation of Industry]] || FI || 2014
|-
| [[Federation of Services (Spain)|Federation of Services]] || Servicios || 2014
|-
| Pensioners and Senior Citizens Federation || FPJ || 1978
|}

===Former affiliates===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Union !! Abbreviation !! Founded !! Left !! Reason not affiliated !! Membership (1981)<ref name="meer">{{cite book |last1=van der Meer |first1=Marc |title=Trade Union Development in Spain: Past Legacies and Current Trends |url=http://www.mzes.uni-mannheim.de/publications/wp/wp1-18.pdf |access-date=17 February 2022 |date=1997 |publisher=Mannheimer Zentrum für Europäische Sozialforschung |location=Mannheim}}</ref> !! Membership (1994)<ref name="meer" />
|-
| [[Federation of Agriculture]] || FECAMPO || 1977 || 2000 || Merged into FEAGRA || 15,689 || 17,899
|-
| [[Federation of Agrifood]] || FEAGRA || 2000 || 2016 || Merged into FI || ''N/A'' || ''N/A''
|-
| [[Federation of Banking and Savings]] || FEBA || 1976 || 1997 || Merged into COMFIA || 7,868 || 31,863
|-
| [[Federation of Communication and Transport]] || FCT || 1997 || 2009 || Merged into FSC || ''N/A'' || ''N/A''
|-
| [[Federation of Construction and Woodworkers]] || FECOMA || 1984 || 2014 || Merged into FCS || ''N/A'' || 44,581
|-
| Federation of Energy || || || 1998 || Merged into FM || 6,057 || 8,754
|-
| [[Federation of Financial and Administrative Services]] || COMFIA || 1997 || 2014 || Merged into Servicios || ''N/A'' || ''N/A''
|-
| [[Federation of Food Processing]] || FAYT || 1977 || 2000 || Merged into FEAGRA || 21,511 || 31,625
|-
| [[Federation of Metal]] || || 1976 || 1993 || Merged into FM || 103,161 || ''N/A''
|-
| [[Federation of Metalworkers and Miners]] || FM || 1993 || 2014 || Merged into FI || ''N/A'' || 124,020
|-
| [[Federation of Paper, Graphic Arts, Communications and Entertainment]] || FESPACE || 1994 || 1997 || Merged into FCT || ''N/A'' || 13,903
|-
| [[Federation of Private Services]] || FSP || 1984 || 2014 || Merged into FCS || ''N/A'' || 31,681
|-
| [[Federation of Public Administration Employees]] || FSAP || 1977 || 2009 || Merged into FSC || 5,444 || 63,519
|-
| Federation of the Sea || || || 1987 || Merged into FETCOMAR || ''N/A'' || ''N/A''
|-
| [[Federation of Textile, Leather, Chemical and Allied Industries]] || FITEQA || 1994 || 2014 || Merged into FI || ''N/A'' || 51,053
|-
| Federation of Transport and Communications || FTC || 1978 || 1987 || Merged into FETCOMAR || 36,092 || ''N/A''
|-
| [[Federation of Transport, Communication and Sea]] || FETCOMAR || 1987 || 1997 || Merged into FCT || ''N/A'' || 74,361
|-
| Federation of the Unemployed || || || || || 1,778 || 10,574
|-
| [[National Federation of Chemicals]] || || 1977 || 1994 || Merged into FITEQA || 19,913 || ''N/A''
|-
| [[National Federation of Commerce]] || || 1978 || 1996 || Merged into FECOHT || 8,655 || 19,769
|-
| National Federation of Construction || || 1977 || 1984 || Merged into FECOMA || 43,745 || ''N/A''
|-
| National Federation of Entertainment || || 1977 || 1994 || Merged into FESPACE || 917 || ''N/A''
|-
| National Federation of Graphic Arts || || 1977 || 1994 || Merged into FESPACE || 9,357 || ''N/A''
|-
| [[National Federation of Hotel and Tourism Workers]] || FEHT || 1978 || 1996 || Merged into FECOHT || 9,320 || 23,196
|-
| National Federation of Insurance || FES || 1977 || 1997 || Merged into COMFIA || 1,129 || 2,913
|-
| National Federation of Leather || || || 1984 || || 9,111 || ''N/A''
|-
| [[National Federation of Mining]] || || 1976 || 1993 || Merged into FM || 15,118 || ''N/A''
|-
| National Federation of Textiles || || || 1984 || || 17,646 || ''N/A''
|-
| [[National Federation of Textiles and Leather]] || || 1984 || 1994 || Merged into FITEQA || ''N/A'' || ''N/A''
|-
| [[National Federation of Trade, Hotels and Tourism]] || FECOHT || 1996 || 2014 || Merged into Servicios || ''N/A'' || ''N/A''
|-
| National Federation of Wood || || || 1984 || Merged into FECOMA || 14,451 || ''N/A''
|}

===Confederal Executive Committee===
* Secretary of Social Protection and Public Policy: Carlos Bravo Fernández
* Secretary of Institutional Participation: Francisco Carbonero Cantador
* Secretary of Finance, Administration & Services Mary Cardeñosa Peñas
* Secretary of Trade Union Action: Mercedes Gonzalez Calvo
* Secretary of Women and Equality: Elena Blasco Martín
* Secretary of Organization: Fernando Lezcano López
* Secretary of Occupational Health: Pedro Jose Linares Rodríguez
* Secretary of Training for Trade Union Education and Labour Culture: José Luis Gonzalez
* Secretary of Communication: Empar Pablo Martínez
* Secretary of Environment and Mocility: Mariano Sanz Lubeiro
* Secretary of Membership, Services and Counseling: Francisca Goméz Sanchez
* International and Cooperation Secretariat: Cristina Faciaben Lacorte
* Social movements and networks Secretariat: Paula Guisande Boronat
* Youth and new labour realities Secretariat: Carlos Gutiérrez Calderón

==Internal currents==
There are 3 internal currents in CCOO:
* '''Confederal Majority''': sector linked to the latest confederal directions. Has a clear majority in 19 organizations: Citizen Services, Industry, Health, Trade and Hospitality, Financial and Administrative Services, Education, Textile and Chemical Industries; and territorial organizations of [[Cantabria]], [[Ceuta]], [[Basque Autonomous Community]], [[Navarra]], [[Catalonia]], [[Galiza]], [[Castilla y León]], [[Valencian Country]], [[Andalusia]], [[Extremadura]] and [[Región de Murcia]]. In the last Congress it was divided among supporters of [[José María Fidalgo]], prone to continuity, and [[Ignacio Fernández Toxo]], supporters of understanding with the opposition currents.
* '''[[Critical sector of CCOO]]''': current formed in 1996 by the left wing of CCOO and linked to the [[Communist Party of Spain]] (PCE). It was led by Agustín Moreno and supported by [[Marcelino Camacho]]. Currently its main spokesperson is Salce Elvira.<ref>{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100925221138/http://www2.fct.ccoo.es/prensa/pivot/entry.php?id=33421&w=ccoo |title=Agustín Moreno, líder de los críticos, abandona la dirección de CC.OO. después de 30 años (europa press - 18.12.08) |location=Madrid |date=19 December 2008 |access-date=7 March 2019 |url=http://www2.fct.ccoo.es/prensa/pivot/entry.php?id=33421&w=ccoo |archive-date=25 September 2010 |language=es |first=Joan Carles |last=Gallego |work=Federación de Servicios a la Ciudadanía}}</ref> It has a majority in the Federation of Pensioners and Retirees, and in the territorial federations of [[Asturies]], the [[Balearic Islands]] and [[La Rioja (Spain)|La Rioja]].
* '''Confederal Alternative''': a split of the Confederal Majority, headed by former secretary of organization Rodolfo Benito. They have clear majority in the Federations of Construction and Wood, Agrifood, and in the regional unions of [[Madrid]], [[Aragón]], the [[Canary Islands]] and [[Melilla]]. They are known in the union as the ''rodolfos'' or ''benitos''.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category-inline|Comisiones Obreras}}
* {{in lang|es}} [http://www.ccoo.es CCOO] official site.
* {{in lang|es}} [http://www.nodo50.org/piratasdecomisiones/foro/viewforum.php?f=3 CCCO's Critical Sector forum] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070311160656/http://www.nodo50.org/piratasdecomisiones/foro/viewforum.php?f=3 |date=2007-03-11 }}

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{{European Trade Union Confederation}}
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[[Category:1976 establishments in Spain]]
[[Category:Francoist Spain]]
[[Category:Anti-Francoism]]
[[Category:National trade union centers of Spain]]
[[Category:International Trade Union Confederation]]
[[Category:European Trade Union Confederation]]
[[Category:Trade unions established in 1976]]