Madrid – In 2007, the year with the latest official statistics, there were a total of 181,567 market stalls, identifying, in communities higher than 300 residents, up to 2,854 markets that gave work to more than 150,000 people in Spain. Street trading is between 4 and 7% of the total retail trade in Spain.
In order to continue this activity, UPTA(Union of professional and Independent Workers) has formed the National Federation of street traders, in Madrid, mainly composed by the most representative associations of almost all the Autonomous Communities formed by self-employed workers. "The purpose of this Federation will be to fight and protect the interests of these business professionals and the dignity of the profession itself", assures the General –Secretary of UPTA Spain, Sebastián Reyna.
Besides its importance in the field of trade, street vending has in recent years become a brake on the black market economy and an example of how to regulate economic activity for its development and consolidation, also being an effective way of employment for certain sectors with risk of social exclusion.
The international level will also be the stage of work of this new Federation, which has set itself the goal of getting a true union of European associations to communicate their needs to the governing bodies of the Union and to homogenize the regulations of countries who are members of the EU.
The new Federation, through UPTA, will participate in the global network of sales and services on the street, StreetNet International,1 Organisation which aims to dignify this profession, exercised by more than 250 million people in the world, and their Governments who still do not considered it a profession, and therefore do not apply any regulations.
To do this, ILO will approve in 2014 a recommendation for dignity and a regulation of sale and mobile services in the world that Governments will ratify.
Nicolás Rodríguez, has been appointed President of the Federation. He has been accompanied in this Constitution by the General Secretary of UPTA Spain, Sebastián Reyna, General and the General Secretary of Streetnet International, César García.
NB
- StreetNet is a worker organisation that broadens, networks and represents their members through national and international structures.
ENDS
For more information contact
César García Arnal, Secretary of StreetNet
Email: psectorial@upta.es
Sharon Pillay, StreetNet Media and Publicity Officer
Email: sharonpillay4@yahoo.com;
Cell: +27 72 2577 317
