Por Redaccion 
Next Monday, a meeting with union representatives in the capital of León is scheduled.
The President of the Junta, Alfonso Fernández Mañueco, met with the union representatives from UGT, CCOO, USO, and CGT in León, who expressed the need to address a strategic plan for the province and analyze the «threats» it faces.
Fernández Mañueco met with the unions at the Cortes of Castilla y León, where a plenary session was taking place. During the session, the head of the regional government expressed the commitment of the Junta to the province in response to the UPL spokesperson, Luis Mariano Santos.
Following this intervention, Alfonso Fernández Mañueco met with the Secretary General of Comisiones Obreras in the province, Elena Blasco Martín; the Provincial Secretary of UGT, Enrique Reguero; Jesús López from CGT; and Fernando Abella from USO.
Elena Blasco mentioned that they had considered having a «small» meeting with the President before the one scheduled for Monday, April 14th, at the Territorial Delegation of the Junta in León.
Comisiones Obreras’ representative described the meeting as «quite interesting» as it allowed them to start outlining the areas they want to work on. They discussed topics such as the «opportunities» available in León, as well as the «threats», and consequently, the strategic lines they need to develop to address all needs.
Blasco emphasized the need to «correct» a «structural crisis» that is clearly evident in the province of León. She recalled the demands made during the demonstration on February 16th in the capital of León, where thousands of people called for an «emergency plan for public investment» focusing on four areas: employment, infrastructure, reindustrialization, and public services.
Enrique Reguero expressed a similar sentiment, thanking the Unión del Pueblo Leonés for the invitation to attend the plenary session, which facilitated the meeting with the President and several councilors.
The UGT representative explained that they analyzed the situation after the fourth demonstration held in León and realized that «the future, the economic and social development of the province of León is not the most appropriate.»
«We understand that León needs to be recognized, that both the Junta government and other governments acknowledge that León has a problem, and from there, we start working,» he added.
ANALYZING INVESTMENTS
Reguero described the meeting as «pleasant,» with the aim of presenting proposals on the 14th, particularly focusing on identifying «what projects and investments could be made.» He also mentioned addressing two issues: reaching an agreement with the Spanish Government to collaborate and ensuring a certain decentralization of the Junta’s administrative tasks towards León and all provinces.
He also touched on the provision of public services, specifically healthcare, referencing the recent public healthcare demonstration in Valladolid on March 15th. This demonstration highlighted similar issues across all regions.
In the case of León, he pointed out that due to the province’s structure, «rural areas are very neglected and in need,» with health centers closing, a lack of oncologists in El Bierzo, a hospital that was supposed to be built in Villablino but ended up as a health center, and a shortage of doctors.
«Therefore, there is an urgent need,» asserted the UGT provincial representative, who also called for attention to education, especially in rural areas. These regions are suffering significant losses due to the closure of mines, the impact of thermal power plant closures, and a concerning population decline. The elderly population lacks essential services like access to banks or transportation to health centers, which are often open only one or two days a week.
He warned about the continuous abandonment of these regions over the years, which have become «completely desolate areas» leading to unfortunate incidents like the one in Cerredo, where individuals, in search of a livelihood, end up risking their lives by returning to mines under precarious conditions without any safety measures.