Suso Díaz, former general secretary of the CC.OO. in Galicia and father of Yolanda Díaz, dies.

Trade unionist Suso Díaz, former general secretary of the Workers' Commissions (CC.OO) in Galicia for eight years and father of Yolanda Díaz, Second Vice President and Minister of Labor and Social Economy, died this Tuesday at the age of 80.

In a statement posted on social media, the Galician National Union of Workers' Commissions (CC.OO.) lamented Díaz's death and recalled that he "continued to participate in events as long as his health allowed." "The National Executive Committee expresses that the Works Councils are in mourning today," it said. It also offered its "deepest condolences" to his son, José, a CC.OO. union representative, and to Yolanda Díaz.

In 1992 he was elected Secretary General, a position he held until 2000.

Also according to the same article, Suso Díaz was born in Ferrol in 1944 and joined the Astano shipyard, now Navantia Fene, as an apprentice at just 14 years old. In 1962, he "participated in his first strike" and began participating in the "still clandestine" Workers' Commissions (Comisiones Obreras) when he was just over 20.

He was arrested several times—the first in 1969—and "the brutal repression that followed those events would lead to his imprisonment on several occasions." "However, he always emphasized the importance of the mobilization that took place in Ferrol at that time," the statement continues.

In 1978, with the founding of the National Union of Workers' Workers of Galicia, Suso Díaz joined its governing bodies and the National Executive Committee. In 1992, at the union's Fifth Congress, he was elected general secretary, a position he held for eight years.

During his time leading the union, among other notable events, the foundations of the March 10 Foundation were laid, as well as the first steps toward institutionalizing that date as the Day of the Galician Working Class, something that was achieved in 2006.

In 2000, he handed over the leadership to one of his closest collaborators, the Coruña unionist Xan María Castro, who passed away less than two years ago. Since then, "he has continued to collaborate on all the causes he considered just and actively participate in all the union's rallies."

He received several awards for his career.

In 2010, the CC.OO. and its foundation awarded him the 10th of March Prize for his lifetime commitment to working-class rights and his role in the fight for freedom. Other names include Manuel Amor, Sari Alabau, Santiago Álvarez, Elvira Landín, Fernando Randulfe, and Xesús Alonso Montero.

Last year, he received another award, this time from the Luis Tilve Foundation of the UGT-Galicia organization, and he took advantage of the opportunity to emphasize the importance of united trade union action to improve the lives of the working class.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez spoke on X, formerly Twitter, and lamented the death of Suso Díaz: "He was a leading figure in trade unionism and the fight for workers' rights." "Committed, honest, and generous, he dedicated his life to building a more just world," he continued, before finally expressing his "affection and respect" for Yolanda Díaz.