Agroaldea
THE SOUTHEAST CORPORATION RECOGNIZES THE VALUE, THE COURAGE AND SOLIDARITY OF “THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN” FOR THE EXPORT TOMATO SECTOR OF THE CANARY ISLANDS.
The mayor of Santa Lucía de Tirajana, Dunia Gonzalez Vega, belonging to the Nueva Canarias group, This week he addressed the seven village women who were on hunger strike, to convey congratulations on the plenary agreement of the Corporation of that municipality.In a motion presented by the councilor of the Fortaleza Coalition, María Rosa Suárez Vega, in the Ordinary Plenary of the past 28 November, The Corporation of Santa Lucía was asked for public recognition and to convey congratulations for the achievement achieved by the seven village women who, after a seven-day hunger strike, obtained the commitment of the Minister of Agriculture of the Government of the Canary Islands, Juan Ramon Hernandez.
The Plenary highlighted the unambiguous fight of the seven women for a sector that has been suffering in recent years from a double crisis in which the administrations, repeatedly failing to meet its financial commitments, Non-legal Plans and Proposals, They cannot clear the cloud of eviction.
Nevertheless, the almost fifteen thousand workers in the sector, businessmen, cooperatives, societies, unions and associated companies continue to support a sector that has only been demanding what belongs to it, demonstrating that it is the crop that generates the greatest number of jobs and maintains the foreign exchange that enters the Archipelago due to export activity..
The Plenary Session of the Santa Lucía City Council highlighted the achievement obtained by Fayna, Elisa, Laura, Mª Luisa, Arminda, Dominga and Beatriz who, with their particular struggle, obtained the payment of aid for pending modernization, of the Rural Development Plan, and the payment of aid to the pending hectare, Strategic Plan.
In addition, They achieved the advance of aid to the hectare of 2014 which becomes paid to the 30 from June to 30 January – 15 February; a few 2,5 million euros for La Aldea and 9 millions for the rest of the sector.
Another of the agreements reached with the counselor to shape during this year is the one related to the modification of the aid system in order to replace the current one with another that links these aids to employment. In this way, for the period 2015/2020, The aid lines will prioritize employment, in the case of tomato, is set to 1,5 units per hectare.
On the other hand, The women have expressed their deep satisfaction and gratitude for this recognition by the Santa Lucía City Council, which is added to the one given by the COAGRISÁN cooperative last December and for the half a thousand anonymous citizens who send them their admiration and congratulations every day.
Laura Martin, in the name of the seven women, expressed to Agroaldea the intention to contact the Santa Lucía City Council to propose a meeting between the local administration, companies in the tomato sector, workers and unions to present the details of the agreement and agree on the future strategy.
This is a small achievement, but it doesn't mean that we have won the game. The sector remains affected and we have to continue fighting to guarantee viability and the thousands of jobs it generates and that supports several hundred families., declared Laura Martin.