Catalan Language as Tool for Unity
On Friday 11 September 2026, the National Day of Catalonia (Diada), Belén López, general secretary of CC.OO. of Catalonia, reaffirmed her union's position that Catalonia constitutes "one single people" and that the Catalan language is a fundamental instrument of social cohesion, democratic construction, and labour rights protection. López made the remarks following her participation in the traditional floral offering at the monument to Rafael Casanova in Barcelona, a customary act during the Diada. She stressed that the national construction of Catalonia is inseparable from the struggle against racism, xenophobia, inequality and labour precariousness.
The national construction of Catalonia, today more than ever, is inseparable from the fight against racism, xenophobia, inequality, and labour precariousness.
Union Backs Catalan in Workplace and Legal Spheres
This declaration follows a joint agreement announced on 10 September between CC.OO. and the Consell de l'Advocacia Catalana (Cicac), the body representing Catalan legal professionals. The agreement sees CC.OO. joining Compendium.cat, a digital portal designed to support legal and administrative drafting in Catalan. The portal offers standardised forms, legal templates, dictionaries and linguistic tools to promote the use of Catalan in professional and legal contexts. According to a Cicac statement, CC.OO. is the second major trade union to join the initiative, after UGT, marking a significant step in extending the language's use beyond strictly legal settings into the wider labour and union environment. Rogeli Montoliu, president of Cicac, welcomed CC.OO.'s involvement, stating it broadens the reach of the initiative into the syndical and workplace domains.
Longstanding Union Language Policy
CC.OO. de Catalunya has formalised its commitment to the Catalan language through multiple internal resolutions. These include a 2025 resolution titled "Trabajamos en catalán" (We Work in Catalan), which asserts the language as a social cohesion tool and a civic right. The union's Linguistic Service, accessible via phone and WhatsApp, provides translation, document correction and Catalan courses to affiliated organisations. Belén López highlighted that the right to use Catalan in the workplace is a workers' right, and ensuring its normalised use is part of defending broader labour rights. The union's support for Compendium.cat aligns with this policy and reinforces its stance on linguistic normalisation in professional life.
Reported by europapress.es, democrata.es, es.ccoo.cat, elperiodico.com, elpais.com, CAFÈ D'IDEES - RTVE.es, ccoo.cat, Europa Press Barcelona.
