Crise économique et contestation sociale en Espagne : des syndicats percutés par les mouvements sociaux ?

International audience"The “Indignant” protest movement that spread across Spain in May 2011 strongly criticized the institutions of representative democracy and, in particular, the role played in them by the dominant political parties. What are known as the “majority” labor unions, for their part, were also identified as being part of the system, especially given their impotence confronted with the scale of austerity policies. While it appears to have been complete, the rift between labor unionism and this form of mobilization is nevertheless worth considering more closely. This is first of all because the Indignants Movement had closer ties to the world of work than was initially claimed. Evidence of this can be found in the presence of labor union activists in public places and neighborhood assemblies as well as in themes relating to job security and the defense of public services. Moreover, the movement was followed by other phases of mobilization, notably in the education sector. What’s more, labor unions, including such “majority” unions as the Workers’ Commissions and the UGT, were receptive to the criticism levelled at them and attempted to respond to it