Candidates Juan Ponte and Antona Luengo from Frente Ampliu por Asturies participated this morning in Gijón, alongside José Manuel Zapico, the general secretary of CCOO (Workers' Commissions) in Asturias, in an information session and distribution of leaflets to encourage participation in the upcoming general strike on 11 November.
Ponte emphasised the role of class-based trade unionism as a tool for the working class to organise and defend their interests against those who accumulate collective wealth. He contrasted the privileges of the wealthy with the everyday struggles of workers to make ends meet, pay rent, and cover basic expenses. He also criticised those who focus more on the 'proliferation of piranhas in Asturias' than on the plight of workers.
The congressional candidate advocated for fairer taxation, proposing a 2% wealth tax on assets over one million euros and a 3% tax on fortunes exceeding 50 million euros. Ponte highlighted that the wealthiest 1% of the Spanish population holds 25% of the country's wealth and estimated that his proposal could generate €17 billion, which would help strengthen public services.
Antona Luengo called for mobilisation to assert the effective right to housing, a central theme of the general strike. She argued that access to housing is a fundamental right that remains materially unguaranteed, despite its recognition in the Spanish Constitution. Luengo stated that social mobilisation should place housing at the forefront of the political agenda and critiqued the social-democratic left for failing to adequately address this issue. She positioned the strike on 11 November as a starting point for advancing the effective realisation of this right.
